Coming on Strong
by popdiva24
Summary: Ever wonder what happened to Third World Yukiteru after Third World Yuno left to go be with Second World Yukiteru? Read this story and find out . . . .
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : Hey guys! So, lately I've been wondering . . . what exactly happened to Yukiteru in the third world after Third World Yuno left to go be with Second World Yukiteru? Neither the TV series nor movie, "Redial" show Third World Yukiteru, and we are left to just assume that he's alive somewhere in the world, doing his own thing. Thus, that's where this fic comes in. It explains just what happened to Third World Yukiteru to erase that mystery. And of course, what's a Future Diary story without good ol' Akise there to make things interesting? He also happens to be my favorite character in the show, and I want him to be happy, even in the third world.

Also, there's a reason behind the title of this story. Akise will be a tad bit . . . forward in this fic—sometimes uncomfortably-so when it comes to Yukiteru—because I see Akise as a generally inquisitive guy with enough drive to go after whatever or whoever he wants. So, yeah . . . there's that.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this short fic! It's looking to be about 10 chapters long.

* * *

…

Akise walked through the halls of Umesato Middle, his mind reflecting on the events leading to Yuno's crossover to the second world limbo. It appeared he had been successful in delivering the key to Yuno—a sword that allowed her to unlock the double doors leading to First World Mur Mur's holding cell and recover her memories. Although he was a bit hazy about the details, he was aware through his ties to Deus that Yuno had made it to Second World Yukiteru, and that they had become the god and goddesses' of that world. Unfortunately, that was all he knew of their whereabouts. He didn't even know what Yukiteru looked like. Or rather, his memory didn't allow him to, no matter how hard he tried to recover it. Everything was coming in bits in pieces, providing him with only the vaguest amount of information. It was frustrating.

His only thought was to somehow locate the Yukiteru of this world, despite not knowing his appearance, and hope that Yukiteru's presence might help reawaken his memories.

He sighed. "But the question is, where is-"

His words were abruptly cut off by a body slamming into him, the latter falling backwards to the ground with a pile of books scattered everywhere.

Upon recovering from the sudden collision, Akise looked down to see a young boy wearing a tan wool cap covering messy brown hair, and a brown jacket over a black sweater. The boy appeared to be around his own age.

He noticed that the boy had instinctively grabbed a blue flip phone after it had fallen on the floor next to him. The phone's screen showed several notes.

Akise's eyes widened as the brown-haired boy looked up at him. Vibrant cobalt eyes stared up at him in shock. Akise's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't seen anyone quite like him before. A rare gem.

"S-sorry!" the boy mumbled, scrambling to pick up his belongings. "I was so concentrated on my phone that I guess I wasn't looking where I was going." He haphazardly tossed all of his things into his backpack, zipping it up tightly.

Akise gave a small smile. "No, it's quite alright," he said, reaching a hand out to the boy on the floor. "Akise Aru. And yours?"

The boy blinked twice. His eyebrows furrowed, as if internally deciding whether he should trust him or not. Then, apparently perceiving him to be no threat, the boy tentatively grabbed his hand and Akise heaved him to his height.

"T-thanks," the boy replied, giving a hesitant smile. "I'm . . . Amano Yukiteru."

"A pleasure," Akise said, his hand still firmly latched onto Yukiteru's. Yukiteru seemed to notice this as Akise felt Yukiteru's hand start to pull away from his. Akise only gripped his hand tighter, eliciting a sharp gasp from the other boy. He stared deeply into the other boy's eyes. "I don't believe I've seen you around, Amano Yukiteru."

Yukiteru shifted uncomfortably. "I transferred to this school last week," he explained. He looked to their locked hands. "Uh, I'm actually kind of in a hurry, so . . . ."

Akise's grin grew wider, letting go of Yukiteru's hand. "Of course," he said. "You have a phone number, right?"

Yukiteru avoided his gaze, looking as if he was desperately seeking an out.  
"W-well . . . yes, but I," he began. "But I-huh?!"

He was startled when Akise suddenly snatched the phone out of his hand, his fingers rapidly typing in keys.

Yukiteru desperately tried to snatch his phone back, but Akise thwarted his hands. "H-hey! Give that back! What are you-"

A chime could be heard from Akise's purple jacket pocket. He smiled, offering Yukiteru his cell back.

Yukiteru snatched it out of his hands, shooting him a mean look. "What did you do?!" he demanded, frantically searching through his phone.

"Check your contacts," Akise replied, walking away from him. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, giving him a broad smile. "I look forward to speaking with you soon, Amano Yukiteru."

He continued walking.

Yukiteru watched Akise's retreating form in awe before scrolling through his list of contacts. Sure enough, an Akise Aru appeared in his phonebook. He gasped in surprise at what he saw next.

Beside the words, Akise Aru, was a tiny red heart.

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : Aaaannnndddd . . . first chapter complete! Nine more to go.

What did you think of the first chapter? Did Akise seem casual, forward, or maybe something else? And how is Yukiteru going to react if he ever receives any texts or calls from Akise, now that Akise has left a small hint of his intentions on Yukiteru's cellphone? What would you do? Let me know, I'm curious.

Stay tuned for the next chapter! I'll try to have another chapter out by **Wednesday** since these chapters will be relatively short. Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey guys! As promised, here is chapter #2 to _Coming on Strong_. To those who have followed and read this story . . . _thank you_. It makes me truly happy to see people reading and (hopefully) enjoying this story. Plus, writing these chapters means more fun for me!

Also, about this chapter—it seems Akise is quite the persistent one in getting Yukiteru's attention. Let's see how Yukiteru reacts . . . read on . . .

* * *

(One Week Later . . . .)

As Yukiteru shut his locker, he jumped when he felt a hand touch his left shoulder. He turned around sharply to find a familiar silver-haired boy with crimson eyes.

"Hey," Akise greeted. "You didn't respond to any of my texts."

Yukiteru looked around helplessly. "I was . . . I was busy," he asserted quickly.

Akise gave a sad smile. "Is that so?"

Mild annoyance flashed across Yukiteru's face. " _Yes_ ," he answered firmly. He put his backpack on. "If you don't mind, I'm still a little busy-"

"Want to meet up tonight?" Akise interjected. "It's a Friday, so-"

"You just assume I have nothing better to do, right?" Yukiteru finished for him, frowning.

Akise's eyes widened, caught off guard by the sharp reproach.

Yukiteru's own eyes widened then, a hand flying to his mouth.

He removed it slowly, looking away. "Uh, sorry," he apologized. "It's just . . . the other kids at my school, they called me a freak because I didn't talk to anyone at school. In fact, I spent most of the time on my own." Then, he frowned, meeting Akise's gaze. "But, just because I was a loner at school, doesn't mean I'm a total hermit. I like to hang out sometimes too. You know, go to the movies and eat popcorn and stuff."

"I see," Akise said. "Perhaps I should've phrased my question better." He closed his eyes, taking a calming breath. Then, he opened them again, his crimson gaze boring into the other boy's eyes. "Yukiteru," he began in a sultry tone. "Would you like to hang out with me tonight?"

Yukiteru's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. Akise was just so . . . cool. He could see why he seemed so popular with all of the ladies. It was odd why he would even bother hanging out with a guy like him.

"I . . . ." he stuttered nervously. "Okay."

Akise gave a warm smile. "I'll stop by your house around 7. We could see a movie tonight, if you'd like."

Yukiteru's face brightened. This was . . . this was really happening. He was actually going to hang out with a friend tonight. Then, his smile faded as he suddenly remembered something. "Hey, listen," he began, his face serious.

Akise blinked. "Hm?"

"Last time we met, when you took my phone, you . . . you left a heart next to your name. Does that-" Yukiteru paused, his eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, you don't like me _that_ way, do you?"

Akise blinked again, not expecting such a question. He ran a hand through his silver bangs as he pondered the question. "I believe . . . ." he began, looking off to the side. "I'm trying to figure that out myself."

Yukiteru's mouth opened and then closed, his face puzzled. "Okay, what does _that_ mean?" he asserted.

Akise looked back at him then, a broad smile tugging at his lips. "It _means_ ," he explained. "I find you quite fascinating, and I believe . . . I would fancy getting to know more about you."

Yukiteru's eyes widened. "W-what?" he exclaimed. "You think I'm fascinating?"

Akise nodded.

Yukiteru's eyebrows furrowed. "But what about me do you find fascinating? I mean, all I really do is sit around and scroll through my phone all day," he questioned.

"Can you show me?" Akise replied.

"Huh?"

"Your notes, I'd like to see them," he explained. "The other day . . . I saw your notes flash across the screen and it had me curious."

Yukiteru bit his lip, looking down at his phone. "It's just . . . a diary," he said. "And anyways, I'd prefer it if you didn't see it. It's kind of personal."

He jumped when he felt a cool hand touch his chin. He felt his chin being tilted upwards to meet crimson eyes. A light blush swept across his cheeks.

Akise stared at him with a loving gaze, and Yukiteru found himself unable to look away. He tried to find his voice. "What are you-"

"You're quite attractive, you know that?" Akise remarked softly, his eyes fixed on his. Yukiteru gulped, his cheeks growing warm. His heart was pounding.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight."

Akise released his chin then, taking a step away from him. Yukiteru instantly felt relieved.

"Do you mind if I call you 'Yuki?'" Akise asked suddenly. "It's a little easier that way."

Yukiteru nodded slowly. "Uh, s-sure," he responded, a little breathless.

Akise fixed him with another warm smile. "See you tonight . . . _Yuki_ ," he said before leaving.

Yuki's eyes followed him until he was gone.

His mind was racing.

He did it.

He finally did it.

He made a friend.

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : I actually find it humorous that Yuki still considers Akise's actions as within the realm of friendship, despite Akise's actions strongly suggesting otherwise. And did Yuki ever stop to question how exactly Akise was going to get to his house when he didn't give an address? I guess not. Sounds a bit sketchy to me on Akise's part.

In any case, we'll see how things play out in the next chapter. I'm looking forward to it, how about you? I'll probably send out another update by **Thursday**. Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey all! Welcome back! I have a brand new chapter out for you. Thank you guys so much for reading this story, and especially to the anonymous person who reviewed this story. You guys are the best!

As for this chapter . . . I had a fun time with this one. Akise sure knows how to keep Yuki on his toes. Not going to spoil it, you'll just have to see. Without further ado, I bring you chapter #3!

* * *

...

At 7 p.m. sharp, Akise arrived at Yuki's door with a bag of popcorn, Lay's potato chips, and a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi, much to Yuki's surprise. In lieu of going to the movies, Akise suggested that he and Yuki stay in at Yuki's house and watch a movie. He explained that it would give him a chance to see Yuki's house fully and give them time to relax. Yuki weakly agreed, not wanting to ruin his first friendship with someone.

The two boys sat beside each other and sifted through the movie list on Netflix in the living room, ultimately deciding on the classic Indiana Jones movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark." They both watched the characters onscreen with rapt interest, each sharing the newly popped bag of popcorn and chips sitting in between them.

Towards the end of the movie, Yuki looked over at Akise and bit his lip.

"Hey, Akise . . .?" he mumbled.

The silver-haired boy turned his head, giving him a cheerful smile. "Yes?"

Yuki fumbled for words, keeping his gaze set on the floor. "Um, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but are you . . . gay?"

Akise's eyes widened slightly and Yuki immediately backtracked. "N-not that there is anything wrong with that," he asserted. "I just . . . wanted to know . . . ."

Yuki looked up to find Akise chuckling, a warm smile returning to his lips.

"Why? Do I seem that way to you?" he asked.

Yuki looked off to the side. "Well . . . kinda," he answered.

Akise grew quiet then, his eyes set on the floor in contemplation.

Not hearing a response, Yuki looked back at him in confusion. "Akise?"

Akise's gaze met his, and Yuki jumped in alarm when he felt a hand suddenly move up his right thigh and stay there. His body jolted, a sudden warmth spreading to his nether regions.

"What the heck?!" Yuki exclaimed, leaping back. His heart beat wildly inside his chest.

Akise shifted closer, placing his hand over Yuki's as his crimson eyes stared deeply into his. "Do you . . . want me to be gay, Yuki?"

Yuki's eyes became wide, a dark blush staining his cheeks. He gasped when Akise placed his other hand to his cheek, gently caressing it. "I- . . . I _think_ \- . . . I _think_ ," he stuttered, his entire body petrified.

Akise broke out into fits of laughter, letting go of Yuki's hand and cheek. "Relax," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "I'm not gay. I like girls."

Yuki blinked. ". . . oh," he said, unsure whether to feel relieved. He cursed himself for reacting so foolishly. Of course Akise wasn't gay. What was he thinking? Then, he remembered the scene in the hallway with Akise tilting his chin up to meet his eyes.

 _Still . . . ._

Akise looked over at him, a warm smile on his lips. "But, even if I were gay, that doesn't necessarily mean I'd be gay for you, right?"

Yuki frowned. "I-I _know_ _that_ ," he answered defensively. "Still, you probably get that question a lot, don't you?"

Akise blinked. "You're the first one actually," he responded.

Yuki's eyes widened in shock. _You've got to be kidding me!_ he thought.

"Then again," Akise retracted, "there's also a chance that people think it, but choose not to say anything." He looked away. "Although . . . I can't say that I've ever really been interested in someone before." He looked back at him, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Yuki, is there someone you find special?"

Yuki started, not expecting to be having this conversation. "I . . . ." he stumbled. "Well, there _is_ someone I like." His eyes lowered to the floor, a sad smile on his lips. "But I don't know if she likes me back. I haven't said anything yet."

"Is she Moe Wakaba, by any chance?"

Yuki blinked, his head turning abruptly to Akise. "H-how- . . . how did you know?!" he exclaimed. "I haven't told anyone!"

Akise looked away. "I've noticed you look at her a lot," he explained. "Anytime she walks by in the halls, you can't keep your eyes off her." He looked back at Yuki, giving him a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "For the record, I think you should ask her out. You're a nice guy, Yuki. And I've noticed . . . she sometimes looks at you too."

Yuki's eyes widened at the information. _She actually. . ._ .

He noticed Akise suddenly rise from the couch and walk over to the door.

He blinked. "You're leaving?"

Akise looked back at him, a smile still on his face. "Yes. I think it's about time I go. It's getting late, and besides, the movie's already over."

Yuki turned sharply to the TV. To his surprise, the TV screen had already returned to the Netflix movie list. His eyes widened. He hadn't noticed. He turned back to Akise, rising from his spot and walking to the door.

"Akis-"

" _Aru_ ," Akise interjected, causing the other boy to gasp in surprise. "Please. Call me Aru." He gave a small smile. "I've noticed that, so far, you've only called me by my family name. I'd prefer it if you call me by my first name, Aru."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. Aru was right. He had been so stupid, never bothering to ask what Aru would prefer to be called. It was no wonder why he didn't have any friends.

Yuki lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

Aru laughed. "No, it's quite alright. You were just being polite."

Yuki didn't raise his head. "Still . . . I should've asked you, so . . . I'm sorry."

He felt his chin being tilted upwards again. Cobalt eyes widened into crimson. Aru slowly leaned over and put his lips to Yuki's left cheek. Yuki's heart skipped a beat. Aru lingered only for a moment before leaning away from him.

Aru stared lovingly into his own, making Yuki's stomach do somersaults.

"Don't be," he whispered.

Yuki slowly brought a hand to the cheek Aru kissed, staring back in shock.

"I want to see you again, Yuki. If possible, I'd like to hang out a little longer next time," Aru said.

Yuki's eyes widened. He tried to find his voice. "I- . . . I'd like that a lot."

Aru nodded, a smile still on his face as he exited the door. Yuki quickly peered out the window just in time to see Aru give a short wave before heading down the road.

He did it.

He actually did it.

He made a friend.

A friend that he'd always wanted.

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** So, we learned one thing from this chapter—Aru pays quite a bit of attention to Yuki, watching him watch another person in the school hallway. Some might find it a little unsettling, but hey, maybe he's just being a good friend by looking out for Yuki. Who knows?

Well, maybe we'll find out a little more about Aru in the next chapter, hm? I'll try to have another chapter out **either before** **Friday or on Friday**. Stay tuned!

edited 12/26/2015


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey everyone! Merry Christmas! It appears that Santa stopped by last night and delivered a brand new chapter when I wasn't looking. How about that? Thanks Santa! :D

. . . a-anyways, thanks to anyone who's still reading these chapters! They sure are a pleasure to post.

Now, about this chapter-we find out a little more information about Aru, and a follow-up to Yuki's crush on Moe. So, without further ado, read on to chapter 4 . . . .

* * *

…

A month passed with Aru coming over to Yuki's house every weekend to hang out. They would sometimes watch movies together and TV, or play darts, board games, or video games upstairs in Yuki's room. Things had been going relatively well for a while between them, and Yuki had gradually become used to the idea of having a friend around, or altogether, even. Still . . . something was bothering him.

That following Friday, Aru came over to Yuki's house as usual, and Yuki invited him upstairs to play "Call of Duty" together. After a few minutes of playing, however, Yuki decided he couldn't take it anymore. He lowered his controller, pressing the "start" button to pause the game.

Aru blinked, turning his head to Yuki. "Something the matter?" he asked.

"How come we never go to your house?"

Aru's eyes widened. "Do you want to go to my house?"

Yuki shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

Aru gave a slight grin. "In that case, how about you stop over at my house tomorrow evening? I'll text you my address," he offered.

Yuki returned the smile. "Okay."

He pressed the "start" button again, and the two resumed playing.

…

A half an hour later, Yuki lowered his controller again, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"I didn't ask her," he said suddenly.

Aru stopped what he was doing and looked over at him in puzzlement. "What?"

"I didn't ask Moe Wakaba out," Yuki clarified. "in case you were wondering."

Aru felt a sense of hope blossoming in his stomach. Still, he wanted Yuki to be happy. "Was it fear?" he asked.

"No." Yuki responded, prompting Aru to raise his eyebrows. "I didn't ask her because . . . I didn't want to." He looked over at Aru. "For some reason, my feelings for her weren't that strong after all. It's confusing, but . . . I think I got over her."

Aru's eyes widened. Then, he gave a faint smile. "I see," he replied.

Yuki eyebrows furrowed, the game now long forgotten. He fumbled for words. "Aru . . . you don't- . . . you haven't found anyone special yet, have you?" he asked.

Aru smiled. "I have actually."

Yuki's eyes widened, his heart sinking suddenly. "Oh, I see," he replied, looking down. "Can you . . . at least tell me who she is?"

Aru's face became serious. "No."

Yuki's head shot up then, looking to Aru. "What? Why not?" he implored.

"Because she doesn't exist."

Yuki frowned. "Huh?"

"It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow, Yuki," Aru replied shortly, getting up and leaving Yuki's bedroom.

"W-wait!" Yuki called after him, getting up from his spot and following after him. He rushed down the staircase, catching Aru at the door. "Aru!"

Aru turned around and smiled at him. "You needed something?" he asked.

Yuki took a moment to catch his breath. "I didn't mean to," he paused, taking another breath. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. If you don't want to tell me, then . . . then I'll respect that. I'll quit asking."

Aru's smile faded, his crimson eyes studying the boy in front of him. He shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said. "You asked me if I could tell you who _she_ is. I can't because . . . there is no she."

"Because it's a _he_ ," Yuki connected, his eyes lighting up in realization.

Aru gave a small smile, nodding.

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "But . . . I thought you liked girls," he said.

"That's true," Aru responded. "But you never asked if I liked boys too."

"So then . . . that makes you-"

"No," Aru interjected. "What you're about to say is incorrect because it implies that I love the person for their gender alone when, in fact, that couldn't be further from the truth." He smiled. "I love this special person for him. Any other factor is irrelevant."

The two stared at each other for a long moment, neither saying a word. Yuki's mind was racing, trying to come up with all of the possibilities of who Aru might be interested in.

Then, Yuki grew self-conscious. "I, uh . . . ." he stuttered. "You should probably get going."

Aru didn't move. "Yuki, why don't you ask me who he is?" he said, stepping closer to him. "Are you not curious?"

Yuki's heart skipped a beat, suddenly feeling nervous. He stepped back from Aru, looking around for an out. Aru continued to approach him, Yuki stepping away until his back hit the wall.

"I-I," he stammered, his eyes darting away from Aru. "I've . . . I've got to go to the bathroom!"

With that, he pushed past Aru and raced up the staircase, not looking back. He shut the bathroom door behind him, locking it. Then, he leaned against the door, his back sliding to a sitting position. He put his face in his hands.

He sighed. _I've got to go to the bathroom? How lame is that?_ he thought. His mind flew to Aru moving closer to him.

His cheeks suddenly felt warm. _What's he doing to me?_

...

Fifteen minutes later, he peered out of the bathroom. Seeing no one, he started down the staircase. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see Aru at the door. Then, he turned to the side and jumped in surprise at the person before him.

"Yukiteru!" his mother exclaimed. "Do you mind explaining why you didn't tell me you were having a guest over?"

He gasped, looking around. "What? Is he-"

"Is _who_ ," she demanded.

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Just a friend, mom," he sighed. "And I guess he isn't here then since you'd know who he was by now."

Yuki's mother's eyes widened. "You made a friend?!"

"Yes, mom."

"And you didn't introduce me?!" She argued. "What am I, chop liver?" Then, she gasped in realization. She narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I know what this is! You're embarrassed of me, aren't you? You're embarrassed because you think I'll break out the baby pictures!"

He frowned, not wanting to deal with this right now. "Yes, mom. That's _exactly_ what I'm worried about. Now, will you please leave me alone?" he exclaimed, heading back up to his room.

"Yukiteru!" his mother called after him. "Yukiteru, clean up that mess the two of you left in your room!"

Yuki slammed the door behind him. He fell to his bed, putting a pillow over his head. He pictured Aru waiting for him at the door. He sighed.

Why did he run away from him?

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Now, I'm not saying that Yuki's a chicken . . . but I could swear I heard some clucks and saw some feather flying when he ran in the opposite direction of Aru to "go to the bathroom." Ha. I guess Aru might have been getting a little too close for comfort with the way their conversation was heading.

Anyways, I think I like giving myself deadlines for chapters. It gives me something to shoot for, you know? That being said, I'll try to have another chapter out **on Saturday**. I'll talk to you guys then! Stay tuned!

Also, reviews are greatly appreciated! Just sayin'.

Cheers!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey everyone! Hope you guys have been enjoying the holidays. I know I have! I've been just typing away at my computer while listening to some holiday jingles. 'Tis the season, after all! Thanks to those who have been reading this story, and thanks especially to the person who left a review on the previous chapter. As a follow-up to the previous chapter, the helpful reviewer pointed out that Third World Yuki did, in fact, know Moe Wakaba as he was seen walking and interacting with her along with his parents in episode 26 of the Future Diary series. I totally missed that scene when I first watched the series! How cool!

That being said, I realize that somewhere in chapter 3 of this story, Yuki mentions that he believes that Moe doesn't know he exists. However, this cannot be the case if Third World Yuki was seen interacting with her in the series. Thus, to correspond with the original series, I will edit out the part where Yuki says, ". . . . She probably doesn't even know I exist" in chapter 3. That way, the plot of this story works. Yuki still would've interacted with Moe, as was the case in the original series, but he just decides not to ask her out as he explains in chapter 4 of this story. Just wanted to give you all a heads up! Thanks again to **IAmBehindYou123** for catching that! You're awesome!

As for this chapter, Aru might've just taken things a little too far with his curiosity. So, without further ado, read on to chapter #5 . . . .

* * *

...

When Yuki arrived at Aru's house, he was greeted by a silver-haired boy with crimson eyes. Aru had given him a warm smile, opening the door further for him to go through, and had even offered to show him around the house. Yuki noted that Aru's house appeared relatively clean and organized, unlike the tornado he had going up in his room. When he asked about Aru's parents, Aru had explained that his parents worked the night shift at their jobs, which is why they weren't present, and Yuki replied that he understood since his own mother wasn't home very often due to her busy work schedule.

Aru then invited Yuki to the living room where they decided to hang out on the couch and watch old detective movies on TV. Things had felt considerably less tense than Yuki had expected. Aru hadn't brought up his peculiar reaction yesterday at all, much to his relief considering that he was debating on showing up to Aru's house at all.

Then, out of the blue . . . .

"Yuki, what happened to your father?"

Yuki blinked, his head turning sharply to Aru. "Wha?"

Aru smiled, his crimson gaze set on Yuki's. "I've noticed your dining room table has placemats and seating areas for three people, yet any picture frames with your father are either hidden in desk drawers or shelved between books," he explained.

Yuki arched a brow. "When did you have time to go looking through our desk drawers?"

"It was during the time you left for the bathroom yesterday," he replied.

"Oh," Yuki said, shifting uncomfortably. His eyes lowered to the floor. "My dad, he's . . . away on a business trip."

"You're lying."

Yuki looked up at him in surprise. "Huh?"

Aru's smile faded. "Your father's in jail. It seems he has a bit of a gambling problem and almost left you and your mother without a house two years ago," he answered. "Recently, he was caught embezzling funds from a bank he worked at for a few months. I take it you're aware because your house received a collect call from him about a month ago from jail asking for bail money, which I presume your mother denied as he's still in jail."

Yuki blinked. "How did you-"

"Let's just say I've done my research," Aru responded with a meaningful smile. "You're looking at an internationally renowned detective in the making." Then, he frowned. "Still, the fact that your father's in jail right now must be painful for you considering that you wished to take your telescope and see the stars with your family. I read it all in that phone diary you left sitting on the counter after you rushed to the bathroom last night."

Yuki's eyes widened. Then, he clenched his fist, his body trembling in anger. "You . . . ." he said. "Just what gives you the _right_ to go through someone's things without their permission?! And who the _hell_ told you that you can look into my family life?!" he exclaimed, frowning. "I- . . . I even told you that I didn't want you looking at my diary because it was personal! Yet you looked anyway!"

"I told you before that I was curious. I wanted to know more about you. I suspected you wouldn't tell me everything, so I went looking for answers on my own," Aru replied calmly. "And if you're asking yourself why I told you, it's because I wanted there to be no secrets between us."

Yuki could hardly believe his ears. "What _else_ did you read from my diary?!" he sputtered.

"Yuki-"

"I asked you a question."

Aru's crimson eyes darted away from his, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. "You, uh . . . you feel nervous in a good way when I'm around you, huh?" he said.

Yuki's eyes widened in realization. His eyes narrowed. "You _knew_ , didn't you?!" he accused. "You knew I decided not to ask Moe Wakaba out. You knew, and yet, you lead me to believe you were hearing it for the first time!"

"Please believe me, Yuki. I _never_ -"

"I don't know what to believe," Yuki asserted. "I can't trust you. I can't trust anything that comes out of your mouth. You've gone too far."

Aru felt an intense pain shoot through his heart. "Yuki, _please_ -" he begged.

"Goodbye, _Akise_ ," Yuki interjected, and Aru shot him the saddest look he had ever seen. "We're through being friends. From this point on, I don't ever want to see you again."

Aru didn't know what hurt worse, the fact that Yuki opted to use his family name or that he no longer wanted anything to do with him.

Yuki made his way over to the door, but Aru blocked him.

" _Move_ ," Yuki said.

"You're the one," Aru replied quietly.

Yuki's eyes furrowed. "What?"

"You're the one I was talking about yesterday. The one I view as most precious to me," he answered. "In other words . . . I'm in love with you, Yuki."

Yuki's eyes widened, the weight of Aru's words hitting him like a ton of bricks. He frowned. "I don't care." He reached for the doorknob, managing to open it only a crack before Aru slammed it shut with his back.

Aru narrowed his eyes. "Look me straight in the eyes, Yuki. Tell me you don't have feelings for me," he said, his crimson eyes unwavering. "Do that, and I'll never bother you again."

Yuki met Aru's gaze. "I don't have any feelings for-"

His words were cut off by Aru's lips suddenly meeting his. A gasp passed through Yuki's lips, his eyes going wide. His body reacted to the sensation of soft lips moving against his own, his lips responding fervently with a mind of their own. He shivered when he felt a hand run through his hair. It had felt so good, his own body leaning into Aru's feather-like touch. His eyes popped open then, regaining control of his senses. He broke off from the kiss, looking up at Aru.

His entire face felt warm, his breathing coming in short gasps. Aru's face held no reaction as he met Yuki's gaze, not saying a word. They stared at each other for a long moment before Yuki pushed past Aru, Aru not exerting any force against him.

Yuki ran out the door and down the block, not looking back.

His heart drummed loudly in his chest. Whether it was attributed to adrenaline from running or kissing Aru, Yuki wasn't sure.

All he knew was that something was very, very wrong.

And he hated himself for liking it.

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**. . . .Well, that escalated quickly. Aru certainly has to work on his impatience, and his idea of personal space and boundaries. I would definitely side with Yuki on this one about Aru going too far. What are your thoughts on this? In any case, we'll just have to see what happens between them in this next chapter, won't we?

I'll try to have the next chapter out **Sunday**. Until next time . . . stay tuned!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

Cheers!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter was posted a little later than usual. I had more things to do yesterday than I had originally anticipated. Anyways, thank you all for continuing to read this story, and thanks especially to **AliceKat** for leaving a review! I actually look forward to writing these chapters each day for you guys.

As for this chapter—Yuki copes with what happened in the last chapter by doing what he loves best . . . moping lol But how long can that last? Read on to chapter 6 and find out . . . .

* * *

...

Yuki sat in the middle of his bed, unmoving, with dark blue blankets and sheets wrapped around his entire body. The room was dark with the blinds firmly shut, emitting only tiny slivers of sunlight. He stared blankly ahead at a spot on the wall.

Yuki pondered the events of two weeks prior, his mind immediately drifting to the kiss he and Aru shared. Aru's lips . . . they had been so warm and inviting and . . . .

His eyebrows furrowed. Why . . . had the kiss felt so familiar? It was almost as if he was reliving a moment he had been through before. It was bizarre, like the dream he had a week ago. He remembered that in the dream, he had held up a gun to Aru, and Aru had been trying to tell him something—something important. He felt the fear in the dream Yuki's body as Aru stepped closer to him, and then the shock that came from the gun not firing. And then, what was even more bizarre was the strange girl that suddenly showed up, wielding a dagger, and telling him to get away from Aru.

Then, there was that kiss from Aru. It had stunned both he and the Yuki in the dream. But instead of feeling anger like he expected, all he could feel was warmth and . . . comfort, especially when Aru smiled back at him. Desire swirled in the pit of his stomach.

Dream Yuki had wanted more.

But the problem was, the real Aru that he knew was just plain invasive. In fact, it bordered on stalker-like, the way that Aru had texted himself his number the first time they had met and had always invited himself to his house almost every weekend. The more he thought about it, the only reason he even went over to Aru's house one weekend was because he, himself, had questioned why he was never invited to Aru's house. He doubted that Aru would have brought it up or offered otherwise, and _why_ _was that_? What made him so interesting to Aru? And now that he thought about it, how was it that Aru even knew where his house was located when he hadn't given an address? Was it through a directory? A teacher? He gasped. Or could Aru have followed him?

The door to his room opened slightly. "Hey Yuki, it's me," Aru answered. "Your mother invited me in."

Yuki's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't move. He kept his gaze locked to a spot on the wall. "Figures you wouldn't bother to knock," he muttered. "Just leave. I've got nothing more to say to you."

But much to his chagrin, Aru didn't leave. Instead, he closed the door behind him, walking further into the room until he was standing in front of him.

"Here," Aru said.

Yuki's eyes shifted to the object outstretched in front of him. His eyebrows furrowed. "What's this?"

"I thought I could pay you back for what I did two weeks ago by allowing you to read more about me," Aru replied. "The notebook contains information all about my family's history, as well as things about me such as my likes and dislikes."

Yuki finally looked up at him, taking note of the warm smile on Aru's face. He frowned. "And you think this is just going to make me forget everything that happened, huh? That I'll just forgive you for looking up intimate details about me and my family?!"

"No," Aru answered. "I don't want you to forget, nor do I want your forgiveness."

Yuki's eyes widened.

Aru's smile faded then, his crimson gaze set on the boy before him. "Yuki, everything I did that night, from that kiss to my reveal of my knowledge of you, to my deeply harbored feelings for you, I want you to remember it all because. . . ." He smiled. "I'd do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant getting a chance to know you."

"We can't be friends," Yuki replied.

Aru blinked.

Yuki's eyes narrowed. "Oh _please_. Don't act so surprised," he said. "You just said that you'd look through my stuff again without my permission and you're not sorry for invading my personal space." He glared back at him. "I should've trusted my instincts from the first time that I met you and stayed the hell away from you. I knew something wasn't right."

Aru gave a faint smile. "You were able to tell all that just by meeting me once, huh?"

"Well, I was right, wasn't I?" Yuki responded.

Aru's smile faded, his crimson gaze set on Yuki's. "Perhaps we can't be friends after all."

At that, Yuki's eyes widened. That . . . hadn't been what he was expecting.

"Yuki, I'll say it again to make myself clear. I'm in love with you," Aru said.

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not interested."

"I didn't ask if you were interested," Aru responded. "And quite frankly, I don't care. The sole reason for me telling you my feelings was because it wouldn't be fair otherwise for me to keep the secret from you." He walked over to the door, grabbing the doorknob. "And if it's such a crime that I have feelings for you and want to spend more time with you because of it, then I suppose you're right. We really can't be friends." He turned his head slightly to him, a sad smile on his lips. "Farewell Yuki." With that, he exited the bedroom.

Yuki's eyes widened. Then, he frowned. "No way," he said, jumping out of bed and running down the stairs after him.

He spotted Aru standing at the door, turned to him expectantly. The thought of Aru actually expecting him to chase after him only infuriated him further.

He clenched his fists as he approached the silver-haired boy. He gripped Aru's collar firmly, holding the latter in place.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve," Yuki said. "Coming here and making me seem like the one at fault . . . that's low."

Aru continued to stare at him, saying nothing.

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "In the time that I've known you, you steal my phone, you practically seduce me, you go through my things, you kiss me, you pronounce these _sudden_ feelings for me, and then you just _expect_ me to be cool with that?" He let go of Aru's collar, taking a step back. "I- . . . I may not have ever had any friends before, but I have enough sense to know that friends don't do the stuff you're doing. To make them feel bad, even though they've done nothing wrong. To make them feel uncomfortable when they're just trying to be a good friend. You . . . you've really done more than enough, and I'm sick of how it always makes me feel. I'm sick of how _you_ always make me feel."

Aru's eyes widened slightly. His eyebrows furrowed. "How . . . do I make you feel, Yuki?"

Yuki frowned. "What do _you_ think?!" he exclaimed. "Mad! Confused! Sick! Nervous! I don't know! Just stop it! I _hate_ it! I _hate_ being around you!"

Aru stepped closer to him, causing Yuki to step away from him in shock.

"Get away from m-"

"Are you afraid of me, Yuki?" Aru interjected, his face now inches from Yuki's.

Yuki tried to push him away, his heart beating violently in his chest. Aru didn't budge. Yuki's eyes dropped to Aru's lips inadvertently, his stomach doing somersaults. He swallowed, his eyes tentatively meeting Aru's once more.

Aru's eyes narrowed. "All of those emotions you mentioned earlier—anger, confusion, nervousness—what makes you think I don't feel the same way?" he said, a slight sharpness evident in his tone. "What makes you think _I_ want this?"

Yuki's eyes grew wide. This was the first time he had ever seen Aru angry.

Aru moved away from him then, keeping his eyes on Yuki. "What you make me feel . . . what you _do_ to me . . . I've never felt this way before for anyone. It's an incredible feeling, but it also comes with heartbreak. And I don't know whether to feel happy or sad." His gaze lowered to the floor. "We can't be friends, Yuki. I don't want to be. I want to be more than that with you. To _touch_ you more, to _kiss_ you more, to _spend_ more time with you." He looked up at Yuki, causing Yuki's heart to skip a beat. "Yukiteru-kun, I want to be with you. Can you honestly say you don't feel the same?"

Yuki looked away, his lips trembling. "I-. . . I don't know what you want me to say," he said quietly. "I _don't_ -"

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," Yuki's mother cut in, causing them to look at her. She looked at Aru. "Would you like to join us for dinner? I have some lasagna baking in the oven."

Yuki frowned. "Mom, _no_."

Aru gave a faint smile. "Sorry," he responded. "I'd love to join you, but tonight's my night to do the dishes."

Yuki's mother's face fell. "Ah, I see. That's too bad, but I understand," she said. She smiled cheerfully. "Well, you're welcome to join us anyti-" She paused, blinking. Then, she laughed. "Pardon me, where are my manners? I don't even know your name!"

Aru gave a polite smile. "It's Aru," he responded. "Akise Aru."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Aru. I'm not always home due to my rigorous work schedule as a video game programmer, but I can already tell that you and Yuki will get along fine. You seem like his type."

"M-mom!" Yuki exclaimed at her choice in wording.

Aru blinked, a small blush painting his cheeks. "Yes, I agree."

Yuki's mouth fell open. What was happening?

Yuki's mother smiled. "My son can be a handful sometimes, but he means well," she said. She winked at Aru. "He grows on you."

Yuki frowned. "Seriously, mom?"

She grinned, ruffling Yuki's hair. "See what I mean?" she said. She clapped her hands together. "Well, I've got to head back into the kitchen now. I hope I'll see you some other time, Aru." With that, she waved and went back into the kitchen.

"Your mother's nice," Aru noted.

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "Weren't you just leaving?"

Aru blinked, and then smiled. "Right, I'll be going then," he said, opening the door.

"Wait," Yuki said suddenly.

Aru stopped, turning back to him.

"I have to know," Yuki began. "How did you find my address? When we met for the first time at my house, how did you know? I've never told you it before."

Aru looked up in thought. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure of the answer myself. You could say that I was simply going by memory," he responded. Yuki's eyes widened. "It just seemed so . . . familiar to me, like I've been here many times before. A déjà vu feeling, if you will." _Distant memories of a previous world, perhaps?_ Aru wondered.

Yuki's mind flickered to the dream with the kiss he and Aru shared. Of warm lips moving softly against his. His cheeks suddenly grew warm. He put a hand to his head, feeling slightly dizzy.

 _That kiss . . . it had felt so real just now,_ he thought. _That couldn't have been an accident._

"Yuki? Are you alright?" Aru said, concern evident in his tone.

Yuki looked away. "I, uh . . . ." he stuttered. He took a deep breath, clearing his thoughts. " _Look_ ," he began. "what you said earlier . . . well, maybe you weren't the only one who felt something, okay?"

Aru's eyes widened.

"That _doesn't_ mean I'm in love with you or anything," Yuki said quickly once he saw Aru's face light up. "But _maybe_ . . . we could . . . we could try to explore it a little further? Say next weekend, going out to dinner, maybe? We could . . . talk, so you won't have to research things about me on your own."

Aru's smile grew. "I'll accept on one condition," he replied.

Yuki blinked. "And that is?"

"Kiss me," Aru said. "I want you to kiss me, Yuki. Anywhere you choose."

Yuki blushed. "You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed. _Couldn't he just be happy that I'm actually giving him a chance?!_

"I'm not," Akise answered, his smile never wavering.

He gaped. " _Seriously_?"

"Do you need help?" Aru questioned, walking up to him until Yuki could feel the warmth coming off of his body.

"W-what if my mom sees?!" Yuki exclaimed.

Aru's eyelids lowered. "Then make it quick."

Yuki's mind raced with all the possible places he could kiss Aru. The hand? No. That was too girly. The forehead? No, that's just weird. He frowned. Come on, he was just getting used to the idea of possibly feeling something for a boy! _Why_ did this have to happen to him?!

Aru waited for several moments, his crimson gaze set on Yuki.

Then . . . .

"So, I, uh . . . can kiss you anywhere?" Yuki replied softly.

Aru nodded. "Yes."

"Okay . . . how about your cheek?" he offered.

"I'm waiting, Yukiteru-kun."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed in thought, silently debating his next step. Then, he gulped. He closed his eyes, slowly leaning up to place his lips on Aru's cheek.

He felt his lips make contact with something moist and squishy, unlike any type of skin he'd felt before. He opened his eyes and was shocked to find his lips on Aru's. He jumped back, yelping. His face turned bright red.

"W-w-what?!" Yuki cried. Did he miss? Was his aim _that bad_? He could've sworn Aru's cheek was right there. _How_ could he have possibly missed?!

Aru gave a gentle smile, a slight blush on his cheeks. He leaned in and met Yuki's lips once more, lingering for just a moment before backing away. Yuki's heart skipped a beat when Aru gave him a half smile.

It was actually . . . kind of hot. The foreign thought sent shivers down Yuki's spine.

"See you next weekend," Aru whispered.

Yuki fidgeted with his fingers, nodding once. He could barely find his voice. "Y-yeah."

Aru took one last look at him before walking out the door. A mental image of a pink-haired girl decapitating a silver-haired boy's head flashed through his mind.

His smile grew broader.

Third World Yuki would soon be all his.

Take that, Yuno.

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hm, it seems that Yuki and Aru's memories of the second world are gradually returning, little by little. Yuki seems more bothered by it than Aru though. And speaking of Yuki . . . he's finally giving Aru a chance after all. I wonder how their dinner date is going to go next chapter. Any thoughts on this?

I'll try to have another update out either **by Tuesday or on Tuesday**. Only 4 more chapters left! Stay tuned!

And as always, reviews are greatly appreciated! It's always great hearing from you all.

Until next time . . .

Cheers!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey guys! Welcome back again! Woo! I posted this chapter by the deadline I set for myself last chapter. I call that a win!

Anyways, thank you all for continuing to read this story, and thanks especially to **Tris PhantomEvans** and **AliceKat** for reviewing the previous chapter! You guys are totally awesome!

As for this chapter—Aru is being his usual forward self, and . . . another snoop is born! But _who_? Don't want to spoil it, you'll have to read it for yourself. Without further ado, here's chapter #7. Read on . . . .

* * *

...

At dinner the following weekend, things seemed to be going rather smoothly. Aru had left it up to Yuki to decide where they were going for dinner, and after much deliberation, Yuki decided on a casual burger-joint that was cost-effective for the both of them. After they were seated at a table by the window, Yuki had told Aru stories he had overheard in class while Aru listened attentively, a faint smile on his lips.

Towards the end of dinner, however, as Yuki was in the middle of telling him another joke, Aru decided to interrupt.

"Yuki, is your mother going to be home tonight?"

Yuki ceased his laughter, giving him an odd look. "No, why?"

Aru's smile grew. "Perhaps we can go over to your house after this, so I can get to _know_ you better?"

Yuki made a face. "Okay, see, when you say things like that, how am I _not_ supposed to turn you down?" he said.

Aru blinked. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

"You can't be serious," Yuki replied. "Don't you think you're coming on just a little _too_ strong?"

"Not really, no," Aru responded. "I've been thinking about that question since we got here, so I thought I'd ask you first instead of researching it myself."

Yuki shook his head. "You know, usually I'd tell someone to keep those types of questions to themselves, but this is actually pretty new for you, isn't it? Asking someone first before snooping?" he said. "I don't know whether to feel relieved that you listened to me or concerned at the prospect of knowing what you think about."

Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you trying to tell me that you haven't read my notebook yet?"

Yuki's eyes widened. "Huh? _N-no_! Of course I haven't! It's _your_ notebook!" he exclaimed, caught off guard.

"I gave you permission."

Yuki frowned. "That still doesn't make it right. Look, I'm going to have to return it to you, now that you mention it."

Aru blinked. "You're returning my gift?"

Yuki looked away. "Well . . . when you put it that way, you make it sound harsh, but yeah, that's the gist of it."

"I see," Aru replied, thoughtfully. "I suppose I'll have to find another way to make us even then."

Yuki's eyes shot to him, his face turning pale. "No thanks . . . you really don't have to."

Aru smirked. "It doesn't matter what you say, Yuki. I'm going to do it anyway," he teased.

Yuki frowned. "Do what exactly?"

Aru gave a sly grin. "Ah, you're curious, huh?" he asked.

"Well, y-yeah . . . knowing how you are."

"Sorry, I'm afraid you'll have to wait. It's a surprise."

Yuki gave a sly grin of his own. "So does that give me permission now to go through _your_ things since you're keeping a secret from me?"

"Sure, but you won't find anything," Aru calmly replied.

Yuki's smile broadened. "Challenge accepted," he answered. "How about we go to your house after this?"

Aru gave a knowing smile. "Why not?"

A wave of excitement passed over Yuki. He was actually getting permission to snoop through a person's things. That didn't happen very often.

Then, a thought occurred to him. For an extremely open guy, Aru sure didn't let on much about himself. He was always looking for specific answers, but never the one to give them. He was an onion with so many intricate layers to him. He grinned. But tonight, he would peel away those layers and find out exactly who Aru was. He would show Aru exactly what it felt like to have all his information out in the open. Maybe then that would teach Aru a lesson about how wrong it was to go through people's things. When in Rome, right?

"Yuki, how about we stop at your house before mine tonight?" Aru asked suddenly.

Yuki blinked, taken aback. "What?"

Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "You wanted to return my notebook, right?"

Yuki's eyes widened. He had forgotten about that. He _was_ supposed to return it, wasn't he?

Still . . . .

Yuki looked away, a slight blush reaching his cheeks. "I, uh . . . I changed my mind. I want to keep it after all," he responded. After all, if he was going to go through Aru's stuff at his house, then he might as well go through his notebook too.

Aru smiled. "I see," he said. "I'm glad to hear that you enjoy my gift, Yukiteru-kun."

Yuki frowned. "Okay, what's with _that_?"

Aru's eyebrows raised. "What's with what?"

" _Yukiteru-kun_ ," Yuki clarified. "Why do you say that?"

"You don't want me to?"

Yuki's eyes widened, and then lowered to the table in thought. "No, it's not that . . . it's just," he began. "I noticed you only say it when you're either being serious or. . . ."

"Or what?"

Yuki blushed. "Or . . . you know . . . affectionate," he said quietly.

Aru's eyes widened. "Oh. I hadn't realized," he replied. He looked down at his hands. "It just seemed . . . familiar, as if I had been doing it all my life."

"I like it," Yuki responded.

Aru's crimson gaze immediately shifted to Yuki's. "Huh?"

"When you do it, I just . . . I feel warm and," he responded. He shrugged. "I like it. It gets my attention."

Aru's face depicted total shock, a blush staining his cheeks. His eyes averted. "I should say it more often," he muttered, more to himself.

Yuki's eyes widened. "What did you-"

"Shall we go to your house then?" Aru interjected, standing up from his seat.

Yuki blinked. "Uh, s-sure, but . . . we still have to pay the bill."

Aru gave a slight grin. "It's already been paid."

Yuki glanced down at the table, and sure enough, the bill was already signed by Aru with a tip included. "What? When did you-"

"You're so cute." Aru laughed.

Yuki frowned, his cheeks red. "You don't call a guy cute," he said.

Aru's eyelids lowered slightly. "How about _sexy_?"

Yuki's heart skipped a beat. "L-let's just go," he stuttered, getting up from the table.

Aru chuckled warmly, and then nodded his head. "Alright."

As the two exited the restaurant, Yuki smiled.

Tonight, he would have his answers about Aru.

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Oh gosh. Yuki has now become the snooper. I guess Aru's been a bad influence on him. I just hope, for Yuki's sake, he knows what he's getting himself into. In any case, we'll see how that pans out in the next chapter. Stay tuned!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! I'll probably have the next chapter out **Friday**. Talk to you guys next year!

Cheers!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Why, hello again everyone! Happy New Year! Thank you all so much for your patience in waiting for this chapter. I'm sorry that this chapter is a little late. Life kind of got in the way, you know? But, you guys might be happy to know that this chapter is slightly longer than usual. That's something, right?

Anyways, thanks again to those who have been reading this story, and thanks especially to **AliceKat** for reviewing the previous chapter—you rock and roll!

As for this chapter—Yuki finally gets to see Aru's room for the first time and tries to test out his new snooping techniques. However, things don't go quite the way as he imagined. Read on to chapter #8 to find out what happens next . . . .

* * *

…

Yuki and Aru arrived at Aru's house at around 9 p.m. that night. All the lights had been turned out, save for a dim porch light illuminating the front of the house. However, no sooner had Aru opened the door to his house had Yuki requested that they head straight up to Aru's room. Aru had only given him a slight smile in return, nodding once to his request. Yuki gave a triumphant grin.

Tonight, he was on a mission.

When they made it up the stairs to Aru's room, Yuki marveled at the sight before him. Aru's room . . . it looked spotless. The bed was made, all of Aru's books were stacked and organized neatly on book shelves, there were no posters on the walls, and no clothes or game controllers strung across the floor as they had been in his own room. In fact, it hardly looked lived in. The more he thought about it, Aru's room was exact same layout as his living room, excluding a couch and television set.

Then, his eyes widened.

At the center of the room was a blue flashlight. His eyebrows furrowed. What was a flashlight doing in the middle of the room? Had Aru been trying to look for something?

Or maybe . . . .

His cobalt eyes slowly shifted to the silver-haired boy behind him. Had Aru been expecting him? Aru's eyes shifted to his then, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Something the matter?" he asked.

Yuki shook his head vigorously, turning his head back to the room. What was he thinking? Aru couldn't have been expecting him. After all, Aru _did_ suggest going to his house earlier, right? It wouldn't be possible for Aru to know that he would request to go over to Aru's house instead. He was just being paranoid.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He stiffened slightly as he felt Aru walk by him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Aru seated on a bed, a small smile still lingering on his lips. Aru's eyes met his.

"Care to join me?" he said, patting the area beside him.

Yuki's eyes darted to the area in question, and then back to Aru's face. "Uh, no thanks," he responded, giving a nervous smile. "I've got a bet to win, remember?"

Aru's smile grew. "Of course," he replied. "Go right ahead, Yukiteru-kun."

Yuki nodded, turning away from him. He could feel Aru's eyes watching his every movement, sending chills down his spine. _Can't he keep himself busy doing something else?_ He thought. He took another deep breath. He had to focus. He was there on a mission. He had to find anything that Aru had been hiding from him. He kept his mind on that.

"Now, where to begin," Yuki muttered to himself as his eyes scanned the room. "If I were Aru, where would I keep my most treasured items?"

"Have you tried asking Aru?" Aru's voice said from the bed behind him.

Yuki frowned, turning back to him. "No way," he replied. "You'd say anything to throw me off the trail."

"Assuming that I have anything to hide," Aru answered. "I _am_ letting you look through my stuff, after all."

"That's because you _owe_ me for looking through _my_ stuff," Yuki argued.

"You're wrong," Aru said. "My debt was repaid the moment you decided to accept my notebook, which contains personal information about me and my family." He smiled. "Of course, that also implies that I'm no longer keeping any secrets from you."

Yuki frowned. "Yeah, I _bet_."

Aru's smile grew. "By that tone in your voice, I'd say you didn't believe me."

"I _don't_ ," Yuki answered. "How can I possibly believe someone who would go behind my back and go through my phone despite me saying _no_?"

"Ah, so the truth comes out."

Blood rushed to Yuki's cheeks. "Just . . . just shut up, okay?" he stuttered. "You're not allowed to make me feel bad about doing this."

Aru laughed warmly. "Very well, Yukiteru-kun," he responded. He rose from the bed. "If you don't mind, I'll just excuse myself to the bathroom."

"That's fine," Yuki said.

His eyes followed Aru as he exited the room. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was no longer being watched. His eyes lowered to the flashlight on the floor in front of him. _Now's my chance._ He thought, bending down to pick up the flashlight. However, just as he picked up the flashlight, the lights in the room suddenly went out.

Yuki's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat.

He was completely enshrouded in darkness.

Panic surged through him. "What the heck?!" he exclaimed, unable to see anything around him. "Is it . . . a power outage?"

His eyes shifted to the flashlight in his hand, the memory of a blue flashlight sitting in the middle of Aru's room passing through his mind. He drew in a sharp intake of air, realization dawning. _Could . . . Aru have planned this?_

A tiny creak sounded near the doorway.

"W-who's there?! Aru?" Yuki stammered, quickly flicking on the flashlight and shining it at the doorway.

However, the doorway was completely clear. Even from parts of the hallway where the span of the light reached, Yuki saw no one. He heaved a sigh of relief.

Maybe he was being paranoid after all. His eyebrows furrowed.

Still . . . .

 _To think Aru would've been back by now_ , he thought. _I mean, he hasn't been gone long, but still . . . he should've noticed the power outage by now, right_?

He looked around the empty room with the flashlight, and then back to the hallway. _Should I wait for him, or should I try to find him_? He thought. He glanced back at the room again.

Wasn't the whole point in coming to Aru's house to find answers about Aru's life? Did he really want to pass up such a great opportunity in front of him? Especially when Aru had actually given him permission to go through his stuff?

He rubbed his eyes, the outline of the objects in the room becoming more visible.

He shined the flashlight back at the doorway again, but no one was there. He sighed, turning off the flashlight.

Perhaps he would take a quick look around the room, but . . . he would do it quietly. After all, he still had his reservations about snooping through other people's stuff, despite actually receiving permission to do so. He would do it, but only to quell his curiosity.

With that, he walked around the room, internally grateful that there weren't things on the floor for him to trip over. He checked the closet, turning on his flashlight once more to quickly scan the items inside. Inside, there were purple jackets, black dress pants, white dress shirts, and black ties. He checked behind the clothing, and then breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing how invasive Aru was, he had been half-expecting that he'd stumble across a Yuki tracking device planted on the closet wall, or at least a lock of his hair or his chewed piece of gum . . . or _something_. Yuki thanked his lucky stars that he didn't find anything of the sort because he didn't know what he'd do then.

Probably run like hell.

He closed the closet door, turning back towards the doorway. Still no sign of Aru.

Yuki gave a small smile. It seems he still had a little more time to snoop.

…

After five minutes, Yuki had already checked all the drawers in Aru's room, and even behind Aru's dresser and nightstand. Still, nothing.

Then, his eyes flickered to the only place he hadn't checked—Aru's bed.

His eyebrows furrowed, slight worry overtaking him. Why hadn't he heard from Aru yet? Did something happen to him? Was he . . . okay? His eyes drifted to the doorway.

Maybe he should stop now and check on him. It had already been about fifteen minutes.

Then again . . . .

Hadn't _he_ , himself, spent that same amount of time in the bathroom about a month ago when he had been hiding from Aru? And Aru hadn't tried looking for him then either. He frowned.

No, how could he forget? Aru had decided to go through his desk drawers and phone instead, despite him specifically warning him not to go through his phone. But Aru didn't care. _Oh no_. He looked through his phone anyways, and even had the _nerve_ to look into his family history as well without his permission and then tell him he wasn't sorry about it.

Yuki turned away from the doorway, setting his sights back on the bed. No. Aru _owed_ him this much. It didn't matter if Aru gave him his notebook with Aru's personal information in it as payment. It still didn't excuse Aru's behavior, and now, he was going to teach Aru a lesson about going through other people's things.

"Let's see how he likes it when it's _his_ things out in the open," Yuki muttered, bending down to search under the bed. He shined the flashlight under the bed, but only saw through to the other side.

Yuki sighed, standing up. _No wonder Aru allowed me to search through his things. He must've anticipated that I'd go directly to his room, and hid all his treasured items in other places_.

He sighed again, plopping down on the bed.

"I guess the only thing for me to do now is to g-" he paused as he noticed something yellow sticking out from one of Aru's pillowcases.

He grabbed the pillow, gently shaking it until a yellow sketchbook fell out of it.

He blinked. _Could this be a treasured item of Aru's_? He thought. Then, he gave a devious grin. _Of course! How could it not be?_

He opened the sketchbook, shining his flashlight on it as he flipped through the pages.

His eyes grew wide, his body beginning to tremble. _What . . . what is this?!_

A sudden creak from the staircase caught his attention. In a panic, Yuki quickly stuffed the book back inside the pillowcase. A dark figure shifted in the doorway.

Yuki gasped, rising up from the bed and shining his light at the figure. The light revealed a silver-haired boy with crimson eyes.

Aru blinked once before giving him a warm smile. "Hey," he greeted. "It seems we have a power outage. Sorry about that."

Yuki's lips trembled, incoherent sounds escaping his lips. His mind couldn't stop replaying what he'd just seen.

Aru blinked again. "Come again? I didn't quite catch that," he replied. Then, he frowned. "You're trembling. What's wrong?"

"I- . . . I- . . . _I've_ ," Yuki stammered, his entire face pale.

Aru took a step towards him.

Tears rolled down Yuki's cheeks, the flashlight dropping out of his hands.

"AAH!" he screamed, holding both sides of his head. He pushed past Aru and bolted down the staircase.

Aru didn't follow. It was fruitless to stop him.

Instead, Aru walked over to where Yuki had previously been standing and picked up the flashlight on the floor. Then, he walked over to his bed and grabbed the pillow containing the sketchbook, lightly shaking it until a yellow sketchbook fell out. He picked up the sketchbook, flipping through the pages. His eyes widened.

A page was torn from his sketchbook.

"I was right," he said. "I'm not the only one having _those_ dreams after all."

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hm, what kind of dreams was Aru referring to? Was Aru really in the bathroom all that time (burritos possibly lol?)? Did Aru plan for Yuki to find his sketchbook? And what page did Yuki take from Aru's sketchbook? These exciting questions will be answered in the remaining two chapters! Stay tuned!

I'll try to have the next chapter up on **either Monday** or **Tuesday** , so be on the lookout!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! (Hint, hint! :))

Until next time . . .

Cheers!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey guys! Long time no see! I can't believe it's been an entire week since I last posted a chapter. Time sure flew by fast! Thank you all so much to for waiting patiently for this chapter. I know, this chapter is _so_ late, but to make up for it, you might be happy to know that this chapter is even _longer_ than the last chapter, and even Kousaka, Mao, and Hinata are in it too. Yay?

Also, thank you guys so much for the favorites, follows, and especially, thanks to **AliceKat** , **the mystery reviewer** , and **Tris PhantomEvans** for leaving a review on the previous chapter! You guys are awesome, and your reviews made me laugh a little!

As for this chapter—Yuki is definitely traumatized from what happened in the previous chapter, Yuki's memory of the second world is slowly returning, Aru's being really forward again, and we get to learn a few things about Aru. Not going to spoil it, you'll have to read it yourself. Without further ado, read on to chapter #9 . . . .

* * *

…

That same night, Yuki's house shone brightly with lights, a sharp contrast to the other houses in his neighborhood. Yuki had turned on all the lights, locked all the doors leading to the outside, shut all the blinds and windows, checked all the air vents, and even locked and barricaded his bedroom door with his nightstand. He had to make sure that there was no chance of Aru breaking into his house that night—not after what he'd just seen.

He was aware that his house probably stuck out like a sore thumb with all the lights, making it relatively easy for anyone to locate his house, but . . . _try_ as he might, he just didn't have it in him to be surrounded in darkness again. He couldn't even risk turning on a nightlight. That would create shadows, and Aru could be hiding in those shadows, just waiting for the moment he'd let his guard down. Aru already knew the way to his house and had explored his house when he was in the bathroom a month ago, was it really such a stretch to think that Aru could've found a secret way into his house and used the darkness to his advantage? Aru was an internationally renowned detective in the making, after all. As irrational as it sounded, he doubted he would ever be able to sleep in the dark again. In fact, it would probably take years of therapy before he could even set foot in a dark movie theatre, which is saying something because he really liked movies.

Yuki sat on his bed, his body wrapped in blankets from head to toe. His head was down, his eyes glued to a single crinkled, torn page from Aru's sketchbook. His eyebrows furrowed, his mind drifting to when he found Aru's sketchbook.

…

 _Yuki opened the sketchbook, shining his flashlight on it as he flipped through the pages. He gasped. Each page had a giant "X" marked through each person. He counted sixteen people total._

 _The first page depicted a middle-aged man with long hair cascading past his shoulders. He wore a button-down coat and gloves. Beside the sketch was one word:_ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The second page depicted another middle-aged man with dark hair reaching his shoulders and sharp eyes. He wore a suit with a white shirt and a black tie._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The third page depicted a little boy around pre-school age with short, curly hair. He wore overalls over a collared shirt, and a toboggan hat._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The fourth page depicted a teenage girl with long dark hair and bangs that obscured one of her eyes. She wore a kimono and had a bow perched at the top of her head._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The fifth page was a little different. The sketch contained two people—a young man with a mullet wearing a jacket, and a young woman with short, wavy hair wearing a sleeveless vest. There was a giant "X" marked across the two collectively, and beside their sketches was one word:_ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The sixth page depicted a large, rotund woman with short dark hair and rosy cheeks. She wore a white apron over a collared shirt, and had a chef's hat on her head._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The seventh page depicted an older man with a mustache and medium hair slicked back. He wore a suit and a bow-tie over a white-collared shirt._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The eighth page depicted an older, bald-headed man with circular glasses. He wore a dark cap and a dark suit with a scarf._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The ninth page depicted a masked man in a dark jump suit. The mask that he wore on his head consisted of a small white sheet with an eyeball marking pulled over his head and a rope tied around it to give the sheet its circular shape._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The tenth page depicted a teenage girl with short hair and long side bangs. She wore a low-cut blouse and jeans._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The eleventh page depicted another teenage girl with long hair going down her back. She wore a white sailor hat and a vest over a white shirt, and a long skirt._ _ **Deceased**_ _._

 _The twelfth page depicted a teenage boy with dark shaggy hair. He wore a short-sleeve shirt with khakis._ _ **Deceased.**_

 _When Yuki reached the final page, his stomach dropped. The sketch depicted the skeletal remains of three corpses, their tissue disintegrated beyond all recognition. The corpses were splayed across the bottom of a large uncovered ditch. Beside the sketch were the words: **Start**_ _ **Over.**_

 _His eyes grew wide, his body beginning to tremble. 'What . . . what is this?!' he thought._

…

Yuki continued to stare at the torn sketch page in his hand. Three corpses. He was staring at three _actual_ corpses.

 _Why the hell would Aru have something like this?!_ He thought. _Why the hell would ANYONE keep something like this?!_

His eyes widened.

 _Unless . . . ._

The thought that Aru might've had something to do with the deaths of the people in the sketchbook made him feel sick.

He took a deep breath, reminding himself not to jump to conclusions. Maybe . . . _maybe_ Aru had nothing to do with the deaths in the sketchbook. Maybe it wasn't even Aru's sketchbook. Maybe Aru had simply borrowed it from someone who worked in the police department, so that he could determine who the three corpses belonged to better. Aru _was_ training to be a detective, after all. He wouldn't actually murder anyone, right?

He shook his head.

No.

Aru may have been invasive, but he was no murderer.

And besides, even _if_ Aru had drawn the sketches, then that still wouldn't mean that Aru committed murder. For all he knew, composing sketches could just be something within the realm of detective work, and Aru was simply doing his job.

That line of reasoning gave him comfort. Then, his eyebrows furrowed.

Still . . . .

His eyes shifted to Aru's notebook beside him. Maybe he would check the handwriting inside Aru's notebook to see if it matched the handwriting in the sketchbook, just to be sure.

With that thought in mind, Yuki reached over and picked up Aru's notebook. Yuki's eyes traced the front cover of the notebook. It consisted of black leather with a thin, rectangular strap wrapping around the right side of the notebook to the back cover of the notebook. The strap had a metal button holding the contents of the notebook shut. The front cover of the notebook read the words, "Akise Aru." Carefully, Yuki popped open the button to the notebook's strap, opening the book. His eyebrows raised.

The first page was addressed to him. It read:

 _For my beloved Yukiteru-kun._

Aru hadn't been kidding when he said that he was in love with him. He rolled his eyes. More like obsessed.

He flipped to another page. True to Aru's word, the page contained information about Aru's likes and dislikes. He was not the least bit surprised when he saw his own name appear at the top of Aru's list of likes. He could also understand why "a good mystery" was also included in Aru's list of likes. Any great detective needs a good mystery, right?

However, he was a little surprised to find "seeing others happy" and "spending time with friends" included among Aru's list of likes. It brought a slight smile on his face because it made him think of all the good moments he spent with Aru—playing Black Ops together, watching detective movies, competing against each other darts, and seeing the warm smile on Aru's face anytime he talked with Aru about the moments he shared with his family. Aru had seemed genuinely kind and happy when he was around him. In fact, he never once saw Aru act meanly towards him or yell at him, even when he was sure that he hadn't been the friendliest towards him at times. It made him wonder if Aru acted the same around others. Try as he might, he couldn't imagine Aru acting mean towards anyone. It made him rethink his opinion on Aru being a murderer. However, as his eyes passed over the word, "astronomy," he frowned because he couldn't be sure if Aru genuinely enjoyed astronomy, or if Aru only liked it because he, himself, liked it. Of course, that brought to mind memories of Aru's snooping through his phone diary, and of how he came to have Aru's notebook and torn sketchbook page in the first place.

Yuki moved on to Aru's dislikes. "Yukiteru's sadness" was at the top on the list. Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. It wasn't that he couldn't have guessed that his sadness bothered Aru since Yukiteru was on the top of Aru's list of likes, but . . . it was what Aru's list _didn't_ say that bothered him.

One might reasonably assume that if someone included "seeing others happy" among their list of likes, then the opposite, "seeing others sad," would be included among their dislikes. But that wasn't the case here. Instead, Aru had written "Yukiteru's sadness." It was almost as if Aru viewed Yuki's own sadness to be above everyone else's. Yuki shook his head. No. That couldn't be true. He was probably just thinking too hard. Aru just . . . forgot to include it, that's all. He took a deep breath, proceeding to look through the other things on the list.

"Rules" was the next one on Aru's dislike list. Yuki's eyebrows rose at that. Was Aru a rebel? Or a bad boy even? He tried to picture Aru with a leather jacket, leather jeans, and a chain hanging around his neck. A slight blush stained his cheeks. He shook his head. No. Aru just didn't seem like the type. Then, he paused.

 _Then again_ . . .

Aru _was_ willing to go through his family's records to find information about him and Aru even knew where his address was. Sure, Aru may have come up with a flimsy explanation of Yuki's house being somehow familiar to him, but who's to say that was the truth? If Aru was willing to go that far and didn't care about anyone else's sadness, could he also go as far as to commit murder? Yuki paled at the thought, deciding to move on to the last word on the list.

His eyes widened at the word, "liars." He thought back to the time when he had lied to Aru about his father's whereabouts. At the time, Aru didn't seem too happy with his explanation and had called even him out on it. Could that have bothered Aru? It was true that Aru had said that he expected that he wouldn't tell him everything, but still . . . had Aru expected him to lie about it? And, more importantly, was Aru holding a grudge because of it?

He gulped. _Maybe_ . . . maybe all of the people in the sketchbook were _liars_ and Aru had murdered them all out of anger, and drew sketches of the people as a happy reminder of his achievement. His eyes shifted to the torn sketchbook page beside him. He compared the handwriting of the words, "Start Over" in the sketchbook to the handwriting in the notebook. His heart skipped a beat. He could've fainted right there.

The handwriting matched each other.

Body trembling and wide-eyed, Yuki tried to calm down, reminding himself that it didn't mean anything. Aru could've just drew the sketches in his line of work as a soon-to-be detective.

Or a _murderer_.

Yuki shook his head. No. He shouldn't jump to conclusions like that. He had to focus and try to find more information on Aru. With that thought in mind, he picked up Aru's notebook once more, flipping over to the next page.

His eyebrows rose. It was a biography about Aru's parents. Skimming through the text, he discovered that Aru's father worked as a croupier at a popular casino, and Aru's mother was a museum curator at a local art museum. They were married for seventeen years and counting. He flipped to the next page, questions circulating on how the two might've gotten together with such different vocations, and on how Aru became interested in becoming a detective.

However, as soon as he reached the next page, he dropped the notebook altogether, hyperventilating. He couldn't do this anymore.

He was done.

Completely done.

Nope. Just _nope_.

What he saw on that page had nothing to do with Aru's parents or anything about Aru, for that matter. What he had seen was an exact image of himself in his room . . . a look of sheer terror on his face as he sat on his bed with a blanket wrapped around himself.

A dark red circle was drawn around him with large red-inked words beneath the image.

The words read . . . .

 _I have finally found you, my beloved Yukiteru-kun._

The doorknob to his bedroom door suddenly jiggled, followed by a loud knocking sound at his door.

Yuki hid himself beneath his covers, trying not to make a sound. His finger hovered over the number to the police precinct. He shut his eyes, his entire body trembling. _Am I . . . next?_ He thought.

"Yukiteru! Are you okay? Why are all the lights on in the house?" his mother's voice called from behind the door.

Yuki's eyes widened, closing his phone, and quickly removing the blankets and getting off the bed. He pushed his nightstand haphazardly to the side.

"Yukiteru?" his mother's voice questioned.

In an instant, the door was flung open by Yuki, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace. Tears streamed down his face. "I'm so glad you're here," he said.

His mother's eyes widened at the scene before her. "Yukiteru, what's gotten into you? You're so pale. You look like you've seen a ghost. What happened?" she asked.

Yuki shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it," he responded. He looked up at her. "I know this is weird, mom, but can I please just sleep in your room tonight?"

His mother blinked once. Then, she gave a small smile. "Alright," she answered. "I won't pressure you, but I do expect an explanation sometime in the near future, young man. Got it?"

Yuki broke off from the embrace them. He nodded. _Thanks for being cool, mom._ He thought.

His mother glanced ahead, and then looked back to him, making a face. "Were you using your nightstand as a barricade?"

Yuki blushed, averting his eyes.

She shook her head. "I'm not even going to ask," she said.

With that, the two descended the staircase, and not a word was spoken about the incident that night.

…

* * *

…

In his mother's bed, Yuki closed his eyes. He decided to get a good night's sleep and not think about everything that transpired that night. His mind drifted to sleep.

…

 _A silver-haired boy with crimson eyes stepped around three corpses—a teenage girl with short brown hair; another teenage girl with long purple hair; and a teenage boy with dark shaggy hair._

…

 _The silver-haired boy continued his approach to Yuki, who had a handgun pointed at him. Yuki pulled the trigger repeatedly, but no bullets came out. The silver-haired boy smiled at him. "It seems you are out of bullets, my friend."_

…

" _Get away from him! He's dangerous, Pookie! He tried to kill me," a pink-haired girl said suddenly. Her waist was wrapped in bandages, her wound seeping through. In one of her hands, she held a dagger._

…

 _The silver-haired boy pulled Yuki close and met his lips. A look of shock passed over Yuki's face as the silver-haired boy released him. Yuki placed a hand to his lips._

…

 _The silver-haired boy narrowed his eyes, his crimson gaze set on the pink-haired girl ahead of him. In one of his hands, he held a metal pole. "I should've let you bleed out when I had the chance, Yuno. This time around, I mean to end you."_

…

 _Yuki sat with a young gray-haired girl in total darkness, his eyes dully focused on a blue cellphone hovering in front of him. The screen read, "Yuno died."_

…

Yuki's eyes snapped open, his breathing heavy as he sat up in his mother's bed. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Sunlight poured in from the window, brightening up the room and serving as a stark contrast to how he was feeling.

 _What . . . what was that all about?_ He thought, running a hand through his hair. His mind flashed to a silver-haired boy stepping around three corpses. His eyebrows furrowed. That silver-haired boy resembled Aru. And those corpses . . . a girl with two long side bangs . . . another girl with long hair and a sailor's cap, and a boy with dark shaggy hair . . . where had he seen them before?

His eyes widened, realization dawning. _I remember now . . . those three corpses in the dream were the same as the ones in Aru's sketchbook!_ His face grew pale.

That meant . . . .

His mind flashed back to the torn sketchbook page of the skeletal remains of three corpses. _Don't tell me . . . the identity of the three corpses were those kids?!_ He thought.

Then, he remembered the silver-haired boy approaching a pink-haired girl—the one who had screamed for him to get away from Aru. His eyebrows furrowed in thought. _What was her name?_

The mental image of a phone screen flashed in his mind. His eyes widened. _Yuno?_ He thought. He placed a hand to his forehead. But _who_ was she exactly? He gulped, remembering the words, "Yuno died" that flashed across the phone's screen in the dream. Had Aru really . . . .

His eyes caught sight of a note beside him. He picked it up.

 _Had to go to work. Talk later, maybe?_

 _Love,_

 _~Mom_

He sighed. He had to get to the bottom of this Aru thing and fast. His mom never left notes for him.

He rose up from the bed. He couldn't just leave things up in the air about Aru being a murderer or not-even if he was terrified about finding out the truth. If Aru was a murderer, then he needed proof of it to prevent others from becoming his next victims. But if Aru wasn't a murderer, then he needed at least some reassurance of Aru's innocence to make himself feel more comfortable around him. For those reasons, he had to be brave.

Especially for what he was about to do next.

…

* * *

…

A doorbell rang clearly throughout the house, gaining the attention of a silver-haired boy with crimson eyes. He closed the Sherlock Holmes book he had been reading, and set it down on the coffee table in front of him. He arose from the couch and walked over to the door. Opening the door, he was met with a boy with messy brown hair and a pair of cobalt eyes staring back at him.

Aru gave a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Yukiteru-kun. I've been waiting for you," he said.

Yuki shifted uneasily. "Good afterno-" He stopped short, his eyes wide as he felt a warm hand brush his cheek.

"You're trembling again. Are you cold?" Aru said, lightly caressing the other boy's cheek.

Yuki slapped his hand away. "K-knock it off," he replied. "I'm _not_ cold. I'm just . . . ."

 _. . . freaked out by you._

Aru blinked. "You're just what?"

Yuki averted his eyes. "Never mind," he muttered. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Aru smiled. "Perhaps you want to come inside first?" he inquired, gesturing with his thumb behind him.

Yuki gulped. "Is your electricity back?"

"Actually, yes. It came on shortly after you left last night," Aru replied.

Yuki narrowed his eyes. _Imagine that_ , he thought.

Aru laughed. "What's with that look? Don't tell me you _wanted_ to talk in the dark again."

Yuki shook his head. "No, that's not it," he answered. "I'll come inside, but it'll probably only be for a few minutes."

"Alright," Aru replied. The two walked into the house, and Aru shut the door behind him.

…

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Aru asked, once they were both seated on the couch in the living room.

Yuki bit his lip, deciding how he would breach the subject. "Have you, uh, been working on any cases lately?"

Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific."

"Well, uh, I mean . . . ." Yuki stuttered. "Were there any cases _recently_ where you had to determine the identity of missing corpses?"

Aru's smile faded. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about any specific corpses, would you?"

Yuki's eyes widened. "Uh, n-no! This is all purely theoretical." he said quickly. The last thing he needed was for Aru to become suspicious.

Aru leaned forwards on the couch, his crimson gaze set on him. "I'm curious. Why are you asking, Yuki?"

Yuki looked down, saying nothing. This was _exactly_ what he was trying to avoid. How was he supposed to answer that question without giving anything away? Should he lie? But . . . didn't Aru dislike liars? What if lying set him off into some murderous rampage? He gulped, looking around the room for anything to distract Aru. His eyes widened when he felt a hand move on top of his.

He looked up and gasped, his cheeks growing warm. Aru was _so_ close to him. So close, in fact, that their knees were brushing.

"Please, Yuki," Aru said, causing Yuki to look back at him. Aru had a look of determination on his face. "If there's something you know, or even _found_ , then please tell me. I'll believe you."

Yuki looked between their hands and then back to Aru's face. "I . . . I, uh," he stammered. He shut his eyes, standing up. "I need something to drink!"

Aru began to stand up. "I'll go get-"

" _No_ , it's fine," Yuki interjected. "I'll _get_ it. The kitchen's down the hall, right?"

He didn't wait for an answer as he headed for the kitchen.

Aru sat back down on the couch, a bewildered look on his face. "Actually, the kitchen's the other way," he mumbled. Then, he sighed, picking up his book once more. _I sure hope he's alright_ , he thought.

…

Down the hallway, Yuki stopped to collect himself. He breathed a sigh of relief. _That was . . . that was close. I almost blew it back there,_ he thought. _Whatever happens, I cannot let Aru know that I found his sketchbook last night._ His eyebrows furrowed in thought. _I guess I can't just up and ask him about those corpses now. He'll figure me out in a second, and it might just turn out that Aru's the one that murdered those people. I'll just have to do my own investigating. Starting with . . . the people closest to him_.

He looked around at his surroundings. _Sure hope I don't find any corpses around here_ , he considered. The thought sent shivers down his spine. Then, he blinked. _Speaking of "here," why am I in a laundry room?_ He face palmed. _Aru must think I've gone nuts!_

Yuki waited a few moments before he casually started back down the hallway and walked into the living room.

Aru looked up from his book. "Did you get lost?" he asked, a slight grin playing on his lips.

Yuki blushed. "Why didn't you stop me?" he retorted.

"You seemed preoccupied," Aru answered. He set down the book, reaching for something beside him. "Here." He tossed a water bottle to him.

Yuki caught it, still reeling from his embarrassing mistake. "Thanks," he said.

Aru smiled. "Anytime," he responded, patting the area beside him.

Yuki took the invitation, sitting beside him. He unscrewed the lid of his water bottle, sniffing it.

Aru took notice, giving a light-hearted laugh. "Sorry to disappoint, but you won't find any poison in that bottle."

Yuki said nothing, continuing to stare at his bottle in contemplation. Then, he took a deep breath and took a sip. He didn't taste anything particularly foul, so he took a couple more sips. Then, he screwed the lid back on, setting the bottle on the coffee table.

However, no sooner had he set the bottle on the table had Aru scooped it up, unscrewed the lid, and started drinking, his lips around the bottle.

Yuki's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey! That was _mine_ ," he exclaimed when Aru screwed the lid back on again.

Aru's smile grew. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind if we shared. That was the last bottle of water," he explained.

Yuki shot him a mean look. He did mind.

Aru laughed. "I'm beginning to like that look on you."

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "You know, I'm starting to understand why I don't see you hanging out with anyone other than me," he said. "Can anyone else really put up with all the weird things you say and do?"

Aru gave a knowing smile, seeing right through the question. "Would you like to meet my other friends, Yuki? I'm sure they'd find you intriguing."

Yuki's eyes widened. "Really? You'll introduce me?"

"Of course," Aru replied. "I'll text them about meeting up after school tomorrow. I'll let them know you're coming. Sound good?"

"Y-yeah," Yuki replied, nodding once. For the first time since he arrived at Aru's house, he gave a genuine smile. He was actually . . . he was actually going to meet other people his age. Not person, but _people_ as a plural. This was going to be his most important moment ever.

Then, his smile faded. What was he doing? He wasn't meeting up with Aru's friends for fun. No. He was supposed to be investigating information on Aru to determine whether he actually murdered those people in his sketchbook. He was on a mission.

"Hey Aru . . . I have to go," he said.

Aru blinked. Then, he smiled. "Of course," he replied.

The two walked to the door, Aru opening it for him.

His smile grew. "See you tomorrow, Yukiteru-kun."

Yuki gave him an odd look. "Uh-huh . . . ." he responded. His eyebrows furrowed. _He isn't going to kiss me goodbye?_ Then, he blinked. _Wait . . . what?! Did I really just miss Aru kissing me?_ He shook his head. _I think I've been hanging around Aru too long_.

He walked out the door, not casting another glance behind him.

…

* * *

…

After school, the next day, Aru met up with Yuki at Yuki's locker, and together, they walked outside the school doors. As they went down the school steps, Yuki spotted three teens sitting on a bench together. His eyes widened, his mind flashing to three teens lying dead on the ground in his dream. _Those three are the same as the teens in my dream! They're . . . alive?!_ He thought. His eyes shifted to Aru. _What's going on?_

"Someone want to remind me again why I hang out with you losers?" a boy with dark shaggy hair said.

"Um, maybe because we're the only ones that will still hang around you when you call us losers?" a girl with short brown hair and two long bangs replied.

"Hinata's right. You're being awfully rude today, Kousaka," a purple-haired girl responded.

The brown-haired girl snorted. " _Rude_? Try _pain-in-the-ass_ , and he's like this every day."

"If by pain-in-the-ass, you mean, 'incredibly awesome,' then I couldn't agree more with you," Kousaka commented.

"I think the bigger question here is why _we_ still hang out with _you_ ," Hinata said.

Aru and Yuki approached the group, causing the three teens to look at them. Aru grinned, turning to the boy beside him. "Yuki, these three are the ones I told you about," he started. He gestured to the boy with dark shaggy hair. "Over here's Ouiji Kousaka."

"'Sup," Kousaka greeted with a bored look on his face.

Aru gestured to the girl to the brown-haired girl beside him. "Next is Hino Hinata."

"Hey there," she greeted.

Aru gestured to the purple-haired girl beside her. "And, finally, this is Nonosaka Mao."

"Hi," she said, giving a cheery grin and a small wave.

"Everyone," Aru announced. "I'd like you to meet Amano Yukiteru, my boyfriend."

Yuki's head turned sharply to him. "Huh?!"

"What?!" Mao exclaimed, her eyes widened in shock.

"No way!" Kousaka yelled.

Hinata blinked. "I'm sorry, he's your _what_?"

Aru's grin grew. "My _boyfriend_ ," he repeated. Then, as if to prove his point, he turned to Yuki, leaning in until his lips touched the other boy's.

Yuki made an muffled noise, caught off guard.

Aru lingered for only a moment before he pulled away, fixing him with a loving gaze.

Yuki's cheeks hinted at a blush, his mouth slightly agape.

Hinata blinked again, not believing her eyes.

"Aww, how sweet!" Mao gushed, snapping a quick picture with her cellphone.

Kousaka broke out into fits of laughter, wiping tears from his eyes. "Fags!" he called out.

Hinata frowned, jabbing him in the side with her elbow. "Shut the hell up, Kousaka. Don't be such a douche."

Kousaka laughed even louder, not paying her any mind.

Mao looked over at Hinata and pouted. "Hinata, why don't you ever kiss _me_ like that?" she asked. She leaned in towards her, puckering her lips.

Hinata pushed her away. "Because we're not together, you idiot," she replied.

"Aw, come on! Just one little kiss?" Mao insisted, leaning in for a second time. Hinata had to exert even more energy to keep her friend away.

Hinata frowned. "I said, _no_! Ugh, would you give it a rest already?" she responded in a tone that lacked malice.

Aru chuckled politely at his friends, seeming to enjoy their company, and Yuki marveled at their interaction. Was this what it was like to have friends?

The mental image of a brown-haired girl, a silver-haired boy, a dark shaggy haired boy, and a purple-haired girl physically supporting him on their shoulders as they walked out of a room together passed through his mind. He placed a hand to his forehead. Why did this feel so familiar?

…

The group of five teens had decided to head over to the park to shoot the breeze.

As Aru was distracted with talking to Hinata and Mao, Yuki decided that now was the time to start investigating. He walked over to Kousaka sitting alone on a park bench with a bored look on his face.

"Hey Kousaka?" he tried.

Kousaka scowled. "Look, if you're trying to recruit another person for a three-way or something, then you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm as straight as they come."

Yuki frowned, his face flushed in embarrassment. "No, it's not like that," he said. "I just wanted to ask . . . well, does Aru seem like the type of person that would hurt anyone?"

Kousaka rolled his eyes. "You don't have to worry. He ain't gonna abuse you."

"No!" he yelled, causing the other boy's eyes to widen in surprise. Yuki lowered his volume. "I _mean_ . . . has he ever murdered anyone?"

Kousaka arched an eyebrow. "Why? You know something I don't?" he asked.

Yuki shifted his eyes in Aru's direction and then back to Kousaka. "It's complicated," he answered.

Kousaka narrowed his eyes, clear annoyance on his face. "As far as I know, Aru's not the type of person who would go around killing anyone. He's kind of strange, yeah, but he's always been the one to save lives and shit, not the other way around. You read me?"

Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Aru wasn't a bad person after all. But then, what about the dreams he had been having?

Kousaka grinned. "Hey, what's stopping me from going over to Akise right now and telling him what you've been asking me?" he said suddenly. "It seems you want to keep this questioning thing a secret between us. Otherwise, you'd be asking him directly, am I right?"

Yuki paled. "No, _please_ don't. I didn't want to tell him because I-"

"Tell you _what_ ," Kousaka interjected. "I'll keep this entire conversation a secret if you give me fifty bucks. Sound good?"

Yuki frowned. "Why are you doing this?"

Kousaka snorted. "Money, _duh_. Take it or leave it. It's the only way I'll go behind the back of my buddy, Akise, who I've known _a lot_ longer than _you_."

Yuki hung his head low. It figures he wouldn't be able to escape bullies, even despite moving to a different school. ". . . . _Fine_ ," he relented, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. He searched through and found three twenties on him.

He looked up at Kousaka, giving him a sheepish smile. "Change for a twenty?"

"You _wish_ I liked you that much," Kousaka replied. His face brightened. "I'll take those three twenties off your hands though."

Yuki sighed, handing him the three twenties. He was already giving up fifty dollars, what was an extra ten anyways?

He frowned. His savings for a brand-new telescope, that's what.

Kousaka flashed him a wide grin. "Sweet! Nice doing business with ya," he responded, getting up from the park bench. He waved to the others. "Hey! I'm going to be cutting out now! I've got some errands to run tonight." When the others said their goodbyes, he walked away, leaving Yuki standing there with a glum look on his face.

Aru approached him, his smile fading upon seeing Yuki's expression. "Something wrong?"

Yuki shook his head. "Just tired. I'm probably going to head home now."

"I'll walk with you," Aru offered. "I'll let the others know we're leaving."

…

A few minutes later, the two were on their way towards Yuki's house, walking together in silence.

Yuki had his head down, his mind reeling about the strange dreams he had been having lately, and what they meant.

"Here," Aru's voice said beside him, getting his attention. Yuki looked up to find an outstretched hand holding three twenties.

His eyes widened. "What's this?"

Aru gave a small smile, keeping his arm out. "You lost sixty dollars, right? I saw you hand three twenties over to Kousaka earlier."

Yuki blinked. "You were watching us?"

"Yes. Kousaka's been known to take advantage of people at times. He gets better the more you know him," he explained. He brought the money closer to Yuki. "Please. Take it."

Yuki shook his head. "I can't do that. It's your money."

"Then think of it as payment for not warning you earlier about Kousaka," he answered. "Yukiteru-kun, I want you to have it."

Yuki studied the other boy's face for a long moment before finally nodding. "Okay, but I'm paying for dinner next time." He took the money, placing it into his wallet. Now that he knew from Kousaka that Aru wasn't a murderer, he felt a little more relaxed around him.

"I'd like that very much," Aru replied.

Yuki turned to him. "You know, I didn't even see you looking at us, and I kept glancing back in your direction to make sure you weren't watching."

Aru's smile grew. "Why?"

Yuki's eyes widened, catching himself. "Uh, _because_ -"

"Did it have anything to do with the page you tore out of my sketchbook last night?" Aru asked.

Yuki stopped dead in his tracks, his face pale as he looked at Aru. "How . . . how did you know?"

Aru gave a sly grin. "As an internationally-renown detective in the making, I have to be able to notice minor details that others could easily miss. I suspected you might want to get close to the people around me in order to find more information about the contents of my sketchbook. Am I right?" he replied, meeting his gaze.

Yuki's eyes widened. "You _knew_."

Aru nodded. "There was a reason I wanted to walk with you tonight. I think it's about time we get to the bottom of the dreams we've been having."

Yuki blinked. " _We_?"

A slow smile crept onto Aru's face. "We'll talk more once we get to your house."

Yuki bit his lip, debating on whether he should follow. Then, he remembered the confusion that struck him after a series of strange dreams had entered his mind. That's right. He was still needed answers. He looked to Aru, nodding.

"Let's go," he replied, following Aru's lead.

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** So, Yuki's finally going to get the answers he's been waiting for, huh? Or . . . is he? We all know how _forthcoming_ Aru is with information, after all. But maybe Yuki's not the only one who's in for some surprises. Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? However, I _can_ tell you that there will be some _suggestive_ themes in the upcoming chapter, but only _implied_.

Only _one_ more chapter left guys! I hope you're ready! I'm anticipating that it's probably going to be another lengthy chapter, so be prepared.

I'll try to have the next chapter up by **next Sunday**. Key word is _try_! Stay tuned!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

Cheers!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Coming on Strong**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Hey everyone! I'm back with the final chapter, and I'm posting this on a Sunday! Not quite the Sunday that I originally planned for, but . . . it'll have to do! Turns out that this chapter is even longer than the previous chapter! :)

Thank you guys so much for being so patient and sticking with this story, and for the story alerts, favorites, and a special thanks to **AliceKat, WarheadAce** , **Zero** (from Code Geass, maybe? :D), **Fangirl9000** , and **the two anonymous reviewers** for your awesome reviews! You guys are great, and your kind words made me smile! So thanks again!

Now, about this chapter—Yuki and Aru finally discuss the dreams they've been having, and all I can think of is drama, drama, and even more drama! It's a rocky road ahead, and there are quite some tense moments in this chapter, so make sure you're ready! We're in the final stretch, folks! Not going to spoil it, you'll have to read it for yourself.

Without further ado, read on to Chapter #10 . . . .

* * *

…

The remainder of the walk was silent as Yuki and Aru walked to Yuki's house. When they arrived at the front door, Yuki unlocked it and invited Aru inside. In truth, Yuki still felt a little wary about bringing Aru into his home after seeing the detailed sketches of people with "deceased" headings beside them and the three corpses, but after Aru had kindly offered him the sixty dollars he lost to Kousaka, witnessed Aru's friendly interaction with his friends first-hand, and discovered that three of the "deceased" people in Aru's sketchbook were actually alive, he figured that Aru just had some dark and twisted fixation on the dead, but Aru's heart was in the right place.

But not only that, he still needed answers to the dreams he had been having, and it seemed as though Aru knew something about them. Moreover, while he could appreciate how talented Aru was at drawing sketches in his sketchbook, the fact that the sketches were so detailed—especially the one with the three corpses—left him with more questions that needed to be answered. For those reasons, he allowed Aru into the living room of his house, which had been decidedly more presentable than his own room.

On the couch, Yuki held out the torn sketch before Aru. "You said that we would talk when we got to my house, right?" he began. "Well then, explain to me why you drew this sketch, and also, why you drew those other sketches of sixteen people, and why you wrote 'deceased' beside them. I'd also like to know why you included your friends in the sketchbook too as one of the 'deceased' people, and for you to explain what you meant about the dreams _we've_ been having. What kind of dreams have _you_ been having? Do they have anything to do with me holding a gun up to you, or even you, me, Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata walking out of a room together? Or maybe-"

He paused when he heard laughter coming from Aru. He lowered the sketch, frowning. "Hey, what's so funny? This is serious," he asserted.

Aru's laughter gradually died down. "Sorry, sorry. It's just . . . you sound so confused right now. It's actually quite endearing."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. Endearing? What was endearing about him asking questions? He shook his head. Aru sure had an odd sense of humor.

He held out the torn sketch once more, jiggling it impatiently. " _Come on_. You said that once we got to my house, you'd explain all the dreams we've been having," he said.

Aru gave a small smile. "Wrong. I never said I would explain anything. I only suggested that we could talk to get to the bottom of the dreams we've been having," he replied.

Yuki clicked his teeth in frustration. "But you know the answers I'm seeking," he responded. "Why don't you just tell me?"

"You read my notebook, right?"

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah?"

"Then you should know that I enjoy a good mystery. Figuring things out for oneself makes things more interesting, wouldn't you agree?" Aru calmly replied.

"No, I _don't_ ," Yuki fumed. "And I'd really appreciate if you'd just get to the point."

Aru remained unfazed. "Do you trust me, Yuki?"

"No."

"Then what would be the point?" he stated. "You wouldn't believe a word I said."

Yuki's eyebrows rose. He hadn't considered that. He bit his lip. "I could- . . . I could hear you out, and decide for myself if I believe you or not."

Aru's smile grew. "That so."

"Yeah."

Aru's smile faded a little. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to provide you with all the answers you're seeking as I'm a bit hazy with the details myself," he answered.

"That's fine. Just tell me what you know," Yuki insisted.

Aru gave a brief nod. "Very well, Yukiteru-kun," he replied. His eyelids lowered. "But before I begin, want to make out with me?"

Yuki blinked, taken aback. "Huh?!" he yelped. "Of course _not_! What are you saying at a time like this?!"

"I merely wish to share an expression of my love with my boyfriend," Aru explained.

Yuki frowned. "Yeah... _about that_ ," he began. "What was with you introducing me as your boyfriend to Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata? Now they think we're together when you _know_ it isn't true!" _Not to mention ruining any chance I might've had with Hinata, or any girl, for that matter if Kousaka tells everyone at school about it_ , he thought.

Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't want to be my boyfriend?"

Yuki shook his head. "That's not the point. You could've asked me first, you know."

"But you might've said no, and then I'd lose out on my chance to kiss you," Aru said with a slight grin.

"Kissing me better not have been your way of claiming me in front of them," Yuki responded. "And you can't just make decisions like that for me! Relationships are supposed to be a two-way street, right?"

"You can kiss me too, if you'd like," he offered.

Yuki made a face. "You know, I wonder if you ever listen to me unless it benefits you somehow."

Aru raised an eyebrow. "If it bothered you so much, why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Yuki flushed. "That's because . . . I was in shock!"

"That shock lasted for four hours."

Yuki lowered his eyes to a spot on the floor. "Well, I had other things to think about too. Only four hours ago, I thought you were a murderer."

"Which would have been all the more reason to say something, right?" Aru responded. "Of course, if you wanted them to think I was your boyfriend, then your actions are self-explanatory."

Yuki said nothing to that. Aru had a point. Why hadn't he said anything? Why had he wanted a goodbye kiss at the door yesterday? What was happening to him?

"Perhaps you never really believed I was a murderer in the first place," Aru said.

Yuki looked up at him in shock.

Aru's smile broadened. "And if that's the case, then perhaps you don't consider me to be a person who would try to deceive you," he stated. "Now, I'll start with what you saw in my sketchbook." He reached over and grabbed the torn sketch page from Yuki's hands, turning it around to face the other boy. "Why did you decide to take this page, Yuki? You had a lot of other options. Why this one?"

Yuki's eyes traced the sketch, the image of the three skeletal corpses ingrained in his memory. A sudden flashback of him discovering three skeletal corpses in a dark room entered his mind, causing his breath to quicken and his heart to skip a beat. His eyebrows furrowed. _What was that?_ He thought. _Why did I think suddenly picture the three corpses somewhere else other than the ditch in the sketch? I've never seen that room before in my life._

"Yuki?"

Yuki blinked, remembering where he was. He shook his head. "I- . . . I don't know," Yuki answered. "It just . . . resonated with me, I guess."

"Could it be that my sketch triggered a past memory for you?"

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?!" he exclaimed. "If you're suggesting that I know what happened those people, then you're way off base. I don't even know who they are!"

"Relax. I'm not accusing you of anything," Aru answered, his crimson gaze locked onto his. "I already know the identity of the murderer."

Yuki gulped. "You mean . . . there's a murderer, after all?" he asked. "Who is it?"

"Don't worry. It's someone who can't bother you anymore," he replied.

Yuki's heart skipped a beat. That made him feel even more anxious. _Someone who can't bother me?_ He thought. He tried to come up with a list in his mind of all the people that he had ever met in his life who might've had something against him. However, no one came to mind. In fact, it was rare for anyone to interact with him because he was always on his cell phone. Why would Aru say that anyone was bothering him? Then, his eyes widened as he remembered the last word that Aru had said. _Anymore? Does that mean . . . .?_ "They're dead?" he asked.

" _Permanently_ ," came Aru's cool response.

Yuki's eyes widened. Was it his imagination or did the air suddenly feel . . . tense? And the way that Aru said that word . . . it almost made it seem like he might've had something to do with that person's death. He knitted his eyebrows. "What did you-"

"Yuki, what I'm about to tell you might be a bit difficult to swallow, so I can understand if this is making you feel uneasy," Aru interjected. "However, this is something that's necessary for you to hear because it will help you handle everything better later." He paused. "Are you ready to hear what I'm about to tell you?"

Yuki stared at him for a few moments before finally nodding. "Yeah."

Aru leaned forwards on the couch. "Right," he began. "I suppose I should explain the sketches you found in my sketchbook. You see, those sketches I drew portray people who died in a different world—a world that no longer exists."

Yuki frowned. "That makes no-"

"Please, Yuki," Aru interjected. "Don't interrupt until I'm done speaking, alright?"

Yuki's eyes widened, nodding once.

Aru continued. "In that world, there was a game—a game in which there could only be one victor. That victor would earn the title of god if the rest of the contestants were eliminated permanently through death," he explained. "There was a total of twelve contestants, nine of which I drew in my sketchbook. The people you met today—Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata—were also depicted in my sketchbook, but I have determined that they weren't among the twelve contestants." He ran a hand through his silver bangs. "For a while, I couldn't remember the appearance of the remaining three contestants. That's why there are no sketches for them."

"Do you remember what they look like now?" Yuki asked.

"Well, I drew a sketch of _one_ of the remaining contestants in my notebook."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed, thinking back to the information in his notebook. Then, he blinked. No. That couldn't be right. The only person he saw in his notebook was . . . .

"M-me?" he stammered.

Aru's smile grew.

Yuki shook his head. "You're insane," he replied. "This thing about there being another world is insane. You probably had a bad dream one night, and Mao, Kousaka, Hinata, and I were in it with other people, and then you just sort of ran with the idea."

Aru appeared unfazed. "Tell me, Yuki. When we spoke at my house yesterday, what made you ask me about any cases I've worked on recently?" he inquired.

Yuki's eyebrows knitted together. _Why is Aru bringing this up?_ He thought. "I wanted to find out the reason you drew the sketch with those three corpses. I thought that maybe you were trying to determine the identities of the corpses, and you drew the sketch as part of your work as a detective," he answered.

"You weren't wrong," Aru replied. "It's true that for the past few weeks, I've tried to determine what happened to the three corpses along with their identities, and I have even eliminated the possibility that any of the nine contestants in my sketchbook had any connection to their deaths. I marked a red 'X' across the sketches once I determined that there was no connection. However," His eyes narrowed. "I've never told you about any casework that I've had before. Furthermore, I don't recall including anything in my notebook that alluded to me ever working on any cases. In fact, the only thing I've said that could relate to casework is that I aspire to become an internationally renowned detective, but that still doesn't mean that I've worked on any cases."

Yuki shrugged. "Okay, so it was a good guess. Anyone could've reasonably assumed that you've had some experience working on cases before since you're interested in becoming a detective."

"Yes, a good guess, or . . . an assumption based on subconscious knowledge of another world where I had worked on cases with the Sakurami police department."

Yuki frowned. "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"

Aru gave a small smile in return. "What would it take to convince you?" he asked.

Yuki thought about it for a moment. "A lot," he replied. "Look at it from my perspective. Suppose I told you that I drew a sketch of us riding two colorful, singing dragons over to an enchanted castle overlooking a flower garden with a giant rainbow and lots of sunshine, and that was really our homeland. Would you honestly believe me?"

"I'd say you've been watching too much _Dragon Tales_ ," Aru replied.

Yuki blushed. Incidentally, that was exactly where he had gotten the idea from, but Aru didn't have to know that. " _The point is_ ," he said. "You wouldn't believe me, right? Well, forgive me if I think your story sounds a little too farfetched."

"Ah, but there's a difference between your dragon story and my retelling of actual events," Aru stated. "I have evidence to back up my claim."

"Your sketches don't qualify as evidence."

Aru's smile grew. "I wasn't referring to my sketches," he said. "My evidence lies in the dreams we've been having."

Yuki cast out a long sigh. "You keep saying ' _we'_ like we're having the same dreams."

"It seems you are out of bullets, my friend."

Yuki's eyes widened, his mind drifting to a silver-haired boy smiling as Yuki pointed a gun at him. He shook his head. "What?"

"I said that to you in one of your dreams," Aru answered. "You had pulled the trigger multiple times, but the gun wouldn't fire."

Yuki looked away, saying nothing. His brows were furrowed.

Aru continued. "I kissed you on your lips."

"I was happy."

Aru blinked. "Come again?"

Yuki looked back at him, a slight blush on his cheeks. "In the dream I had, I was happy that you kissed me," he replied. "I can't explain it, but I remember feeling happy."

"I see," Aru said, his eyes lowered to the floor. He wore a slight smile on his face.

There was silence between them for a few moments.

Then . . . .

"What were the identities of the three corpses in your sketch?" Yuki asked quietly. "You never told me."

Aru's eyes widened, his head turning to Yuki. _He believes me,_ he thought. He sat back on the couch. "Let's see," he considered. "You never met them, but they were a family."

"Before, you said that they were murdered in that other world," Yuki responded. He frowned. "Were they contestants in the game for god's title?"

Aru nodded. "There was one."

"I see," Yuki replied. "So then the murderer was a contestant."

"No. At least not initially."

Yuki blinked. "What? But then why did the murderer kill the family? What was their motive?"

"It was to take the one contestant's place," he answered.

Yuki frowned. "You can do that?!" he asked.

"Sure, if you have the power to do it," Aru responded. "Considering that the murderer was already a god of another world, then it was relatively easy for them to accomplish such a feat."

Yuki shook his head. "Okay, back up for a second. You said the murderer was a god from another world, right?" he said. "Then, that must mean that there was another world with a game. But then, why would the murderer go to another world if they became a god of one world? Couldn't they just create a new one?"

Aru sighed. "Unfortunately, becoming a god is not without its share of limitations. It turns out you can't bring back the souls of the dead," he said. "The murderer found that out the hard way."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "You mentioned earlier that the murderer can't bother me anymore. So then, does that mean the murderer went to another world . . . for me?"

Aru gave a small smile, his crimson gaze set on Yuki's. "That's right," he answered.

Yuki's eyes widened. His mouth opened and then closed again. "Don't tell me . . . the murderer was _you_!" he exclaimed.

Aru blinked twice. Then, he burst out laughing.

Yuki frowned. "Alright, alright. You don't have to be such a jerk about it," he responded, looking away with a blush on his cheeks. "I only thought that it might've been the _you_ from another world because you told me you were in love with me, and I actually believed it."

Aru's laughter gradually died. "No, no. You misunderstand," he replied, wiping a tear from his eyes. "The reason why I laughed isn't because I think the idea is laughable. It's because . . . I was hoping so much that you'd say that the murderer was _me_." He shook his head. "I'm actually quite flattered that you would consider me as the only person who would do anything for you."

Yuki made a face. "You're strange, you know that?"

Aru gave a cheerful smile.

Yuki sighed, leaning back on the couch. "I'm relieved to hear that you weren't the murderer though," he responded quietly.

Aru turned his head. "Why's that?"

Yuki's cobalt eyes met his. Their faces were only inches apart. "In your notebook, you wrote that you disliked my sadness. But, you didn't write that you disliked anyone else's sadness," he said, turning his head to face forwards. "I thought that maybe that meant that you viewed my sadness as being above anyone else's sadness, so you would do anything for me. Even kill."

"I would do anything for you, Yukiteru-kun," Aru said quietly. "Even kill."

Yuki's eyes widened, sharply turning his head back to Aru's. He frowned. "You know, when you say things like that, it really bothers me. I would never want you to kill anyone for me. I'm not worth it."

Aru gave a small smile. "Telling me that doesn't change my mind, Yukiteru-kun," he replied. "If given the opportunity, I would always choose to protect you because that's how much . . . I love you."

 _Because that's how much . . . I love you . . . ._

Yuki's eyes grew wide, a memory of a pink-haired girl smiling at him entered his mind. He shook his head, sitting up in the chair. His eyes lowered to the floor. "Aru, tell me something. If it wasn't you that murdered that family, then . . . who was it?"

Aru's smile faded slightly. He sat up on the couch. "Sorry, but that information's classified."

Yuki frowned, turning his head towards Aru's. "Classified?!" he exclaimed. "I thought you weren't keeping secrets from me!"

Aru narrowed his eyes. "What does it matter if she's dead?" he responded coldly.

Yuki's eyes widened. _She?_ He thought. He placed a hand to his stomach. _Why do I get the strange feeling that something's missing?_ He suddenly felt sick, a mixture of sadness and happiness twisting in the pit of his stomach.

Aru sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you. I just . . . ."

"It's okay," Yuki said with a small smile. "You're right. The murderer's dead, so I shouldn't worry about it."

Aru said nothing to that. He lowered his gaze to the floor.

"I have to know one thing though," Yuki said. "If the murderer died, then who became the god of the new world?"

Aru smiled slightly, meeting his eyes once more. "It was you."

Yuki laughed bitterly. "I was afraid you were going to say that," he answered. He lowered his head, clutching his chest. "Does that mean . . . I'm a murderer?"

"No," Aru said. "The _you_ of this world never murdered anyone. The _you_ of that world, however, did."

Yuki frowned. "So, in other words, the other me's a murderer."

Aru shook his head. "You did what was necessary."

"I wish I hadn't," Yuki responded. He sighed, turning his head towards Aru. "Were you afraid of me? I _mean_ ," he backtracked. "You were probably another contestant, so I could understand why you would be a little afraid of me, or . . . even hate me." He said the last part barely above a whisper.

Aru's eyes lowered to the floor. "I wasn't afraid of you, Yuki."

Yuki bit his lip, feeling his heart clench in his chest. "You can't even look at me when you say that. I'm a _monster_. Just admit it," he replied.

"No."

Yuki's eyes widened as Aru's gaze met his.

"You're not a monster, Yukiteru-kun. You're beautiful," he answered.

"But . . . how can you say that?!" Yuki exclaimed. "I killed people, and I probably caused you to die too!"

Aru placed his hands on both of Yuki's shoulders causing Yuki's eyes to widen in shock. A memory of a silver-haired boy placing his hands on Yuki's shoulders as Yuki pressed the rim of a handgun to the boy's stomach passed through his mind.

Aru frowned. "Death is unavoidable in a survival game that requires people to die. Believe me when I say that there was no other option," Aru answered. "Any other contestant's death is _not_ your burden to carry." He gave a small smile, removing his hands from Yuki's shoulders. "And, for the record, I wasn't a contestant in the game. My only goal was and _always_ will be to protect you, Yukiteru-kun. That's why it could never be your fault for the way things ended."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Aru . . . how do you know all this stuff?" he asked. "I mean, it's like you're always one step ahead. You always know the right things to say, and it seems you know everything about the other world."

Aru gazed upwards. "I have special ties to a being known as Deus, so I'm privy to certain information from other worlds, including the survival game."

"Deus?"

"Yes. You haven't met him in this world, but he was the one who oversaw the survival game in the other world," Aru replied. His crimson gaze shifted to his. "He had high hopes for you in the game, Yuki. I believe he intended for you to win from the start."

Yuki frowned. "But, if that were true, then why have a survival game at all?"

"That, I don't know," Aru answered. "Perhaps he wanted to test your skills out first to see if you were worthy of such a position."

"But why _me_?!" Yuki argued. "Why not someone else?! There's many other people he could've chosen that would've been better for the position! Why did it have to be _me_?!" He shut his eyes tightly. "I- . . . I never would've wanted something like that! To lose everyone dear to me! To have to kill anyone for the sake of something I didn't even want!" He opened his eyes, his body trembling. " _Please_ . . . tell me why it had to be me."

Aru's eyes averted before returning to meet Yuki's gaze. "Yuki, I have tell you something important. It's about Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata. This is going to be difficult to hear, but-"

" _Don't_ ," Yuki interjected. "I don't want to hear it." Then, he laughed bitterly. "I mean, why are we even talking about this now? It's not even _us_ , right?! It happened in some other world! We could just forget all of this happened!"

He felt a cool hand gently brush his cheek. His eyes widened.

Aru wore an unreadable expression on his face. "It hurts me to see you cry like this."

Yuki's eyebrows rose for a moment before lowering again. He smacked his hand away. "I'm _fine_! I just . . . ." he trailed off. "Can you just leave right now? I want to be alone."

"Yuki, let me-"

"Go home already!" Yuki snapped. He turned away from Aru. "Take a hint. I don't want you around."

Aru lowered his eyes, feeling an intense pain building in his heart. He rose up from his spot on the couch. "Very well, Yukiteru-kun," he answered. He walked out of the room, leaving Yuki sitting alone on the couch.

Yuki waited there until he heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, signaling that Aru had left the house. He breathed a sigh of relief before he laid across the couch, his gaze fixed to the ceiling.

 _Why does it feel like I'm on the verge of remembering something terrible?_ He thought.

…

* * *

…

Back in his own room, Aru was reclined on his bed, gazing up at the ceiling. He reflected on the last part of the conversation he had with Yuki.

" _I don't want to hear it."_

" _I mean, why are we even talking about this now? It's not even us, right?!"_

" _Can you just leave right now? I want to be alone."_

" _Go home already!"_

He placed a hand over his heart. While Yuki's words had been spoken both harshly and dismissively at the time, truth be told, that wasn't what truly bothered him. In fact, he doubted that Yuki's anger was even directed at him with the way that Yuki strongly reacted to idea of Yuki murdering anyone and tried to openly evade the topic of what happened to Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata in the other world. No. It was the single tear that rolled down Yuki's cheek that bothered him the most. That single tear had told him all he needed to know about what Yuki had been feeling in that moment.

It was now clear to him that their conversation was starting to trigger some painful memories that Yuki's mind had been subconsciously trying to avoid for the preservation of his own sanity.

 _Post-traumatic stress disorder_ , he thought. _I had read somewhere that such a condition can cause a person to experience recurring nightmares and flashbacks after a particularly traumatic event, and even result in the person avoiding things that remind them of that event._

Could that have been what Yuki had? He closed his eyes, trying to think up ways he could approach the situation. Ultimately, it led him to two options. In option one, he could meet up with Yuki tomorrow and try to gradually walk him through the traumatic event that occurred in the other world, and be an outlet for all of Yuki's emotions to be directed towards in case he needed it. Even if Yuki hated him for it, it would be a small price to pay for making Yuki happy again. If Aru took that approach, then at least Yuki would not have to relive the very vivid traumatic experience of his parents dying and him murdering Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata alone when his memory finally returned. He would make it his mission to ensure that Yuki coped with the traumatic experience well. However, option one might be risky because attempting to walk him through the traumatic experience so soon could make things worse for Yuki, possibly leading to severe depression, which would be the last thing Aru would want.

That led him to consider option two. In option two, he could be patient and allow Yuki to sort his memories out on his own before talking to him about it. In this way, Yuki would not feel as overwhelmed as he might in the first option. In addition, taking on the option two approach might make things easier for himself because he would not have to explain as much to Yuki as, by that time, all of his memories would've likely returned. Furthermore, Yuki might also be more receptive to Aru's assistance since Yuki would have had more time to collect himself. After much thought, it seemed like an overall safe strategy. However, he faced one key problem with this approach: He was impatient. The fact that he could not read Yuki's mind to accurately determine when all of his memories would return meant that Aru would be stuck waiting for Yuki to approach him, if ever. Aru didn't like those odds.

He opened his eyes. He would go with option one. Better to take control of the situation rather than rely on someone else to do it, right? Plus, he _really_ didn't like waiting.

With his approach finally decided, he decided to mentally map out how he would go about executing his approach to talk to Yuki tomorrow about the traumatic event in the other world. He took a deep breath. He already had a pretty good idea of what to do. Towards the end of the day, he would go over to Yuki's lockers and offer to walk home together since they did not live too far away from each other. Then, as they were walking, he would apologize to Yuki for offending him the other day and reassure him of his unyielding support and loyalty to him, which would hopefully get Yuki more warmed up to the idea of listening to what he had to say.

He wasn't certain if his approach would work, but it was worth a shot.

…

Three weeks later, and Aru had yet to speak to Yuki about the traumatic event in the other world. Three weeks earlier, Aru had gone to Yuki's locker at the end of the day, looking for Yuki, but he was nowhere to be found. Aru had even searched the hangout locations that Yuki typically frequented, but he couldn't find him. Granted, it wasn't like Yuki completely disappeared. In fact, there were occasions where Aru did bump into Yuki in the hallway, but Yuki would always keep his head down or eyes glued to his phone, making it difficult for Aru to get ahold of him. However, when Yuki actually did make eye contact with Aru, Yuki would immediately avert his eyes and hurry off into the other direction, not even responding to Aru's shouts for his attention. In addition, Yuki also wouldn't respond to any of Aru's texts, and he never answered the door when Aru came to his house. So, by default, Aru found himself having to go with option two in his approach, which . . . wasn't looking very promising as another week had passed without any word from Yuki.

After school that day, Aru laid in his bed at home, letting out a deep sigh. It was already Friday night, and still no sign of Yuki. What was he to do?

He turned his head to the window, watching tiny raindrops trickle down the glass. He heard the wind roaring against the window pane on the outside, causing the branches of a nearby tree to sway to and fro.

He closed his eyes. It was settled. Tomorrow, he would go to Yuki's house and wait him out. After all, Yuki left him with virtually no choice but to stage an ambush. It seemed that an ambush was really the only way he would ever get to talk to him again. He hoped that Yuki would understand.

…

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang, causing Aru's eyes to snap open. He looked over at his alarm clock on his nightstand.

6:30 p.m.

Too early for his parents to be home.

Nevertheless, he rose up from the bed and made his descent down the staircase. He noted that there were no subsequent rings after the first doorbell ring, which left him wondering if maybe the person at the door had already left, or if the first doorbell ring was just his imagination. After all, he had just been asleep before the doorbell supposedly rang.

Still, he walked over to the door, peering through the peephole. His eyes widened, immediately opening the door to a brown-haired boy in a tan hat and brown jacket, soaked from head-to-toe. His head was down, his bangs obscuring his eyes.

Aru regarded him worriedly. "Yuki! Would you like to come in and-"

"Why?"

Aru blinked. "Huh?"

Yuki looked up at him then, revealing piercing cobalt eyes that were slightly red. "Why couldn't you just let me be?! I never wanted this. I have nightmares all the time about my parents dying, and murdering innocent people, including my only friends," he shouted. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "This is all _your_ fault. I wish I never met you."

Aru's eyes narrowed. _So, he recovered his memory_ , he thought. "Then why are you here?" he asked.

Yuki frowned. "Because, like it or not, you're the only person I can talk to about this stuff without sounding like a lunatic," he answered. "Oh, but I bet you knew that, didn't you? That's why, for the past few months since I've known you, you've been trying to do anything to get close to me. You wanted me to see you as the only person I could trust, so that when you finally told me about the other world, I'd eventually believe you, and then you could have me all to yourself. Am I right?"

Aru said nothing.

Yuki lowered his gaze to the ground. "Back then, when I told you that I got over Moe Wakaba, I admit that I initially thought that it was because I was starting to fall for you," he said quietly.

Aru's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat.

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "But later, I realized, that wasn't it at all. Slowly, but surely, the more I hung around you, I was becoming increasingly aware that something was missing. Or rather, _someone_ was missing—someone so important to me that I couldn't live without." He looked up at Aru. "I kept seeing that person's face in my dreams. The true person I fell in love with: _Gasai Yuno_. You were trying to hide her from me, weren't you Aru?"

Aru averted his eyes. "Why don't you come inside, Yuki? You'll catch a cold standing out there in the rain."

He felt Yuki's shoulder brush his as he walked past him and into the house. Aru slowly closed the door behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Yuki standing not too far away, his head down and his shoulders slouched. His entire body was shivering.

The sight made Aru's heart drop. It truly pained him to see Yuki standing there, so cold and upset. He wished he could do more to help him. He reached over and grabbed Yuki's arm to pull off his jacket, but Yuki yanked his arm from his grasp.

"Don't _touch_ me," Yuki responded coldly.

"I was only trying to be a good host. You shouldn't stay in wet clothes, or you really will catch a cold."

"Then I can remove it myself. I don't need your help." He tugged off his jacket, and walked over to the coat rack by the door, hanging it on the hook. Yuki's eyes shifted to his. "You still haven't answered me, by the way. About Yuno."

"What more is there to say?"

Yuki frowned. "How about the fact that lied to me about no longer keeping any secrets from me?! Or the fact that you never really trusted me to begin with?!" he accused. "If you had, you never would have erased any information in my phone diary pertaining to Yuno when you were looking through my phone a few months back." His gaze lowered to the floor. "It didn't occur to me to check through all my notes in my phone diary until I remembered what you said about you noticing minor details that others could easily miss as we were walking to my house three weeks ago. That's when I noticed that some of my diary entries were missing, which left me wondering if there were other things I might've missed."

He looked back at Aru. "I noticed that you didn't include a sketch of Yuno as one of the deceased diary users in your sketchbook, even though she was one of the people that died, and I also noticed that Yuno wasn't mentioned at all in your notebook. You never mentioned her name directly either. Taken together, it makes me think that you were hiding her existence from me for a reason."

"That was pretty good detective work," Aru commented.

"Don't change the subject," Yuki replied. "Tell me why you were hiding Yuno from me."

Aru's smile faded. "What would be the point? You already said it yourself earlier."

"I want to hear you say it."

Aru deadpanned. "I was jealous. I wanted you all to myself, Yuki," he answered.

Yuki's eyes widened. He hadn't expected him to admit it so openly.

"Before I met you in this world, due to my ties to Deus, I kept experiencing déjà vu moments dealing with the previous world and one specific person," Aru recounted. "It soon became apparent that I was forgetting someone, but I couldn't remember who at the time. It seemed like Yuno of this world was also experiencing similar déjà vu experiences as she would often zone out at times while we were hanging out with friends. When I had asked her about it one day, she seemed confused about who she was thinking about."

He continued. "Shortly after, I learned that she had regained her memories and met up with the previous world's Yuki, which prompted me to wonder about this world's Yuki and that's when I found you."

Yuki nodded. "So, in other words, I was the only Yuki that wasn't taken by Yuno yet, and you thought that by being around me enough, I would eventually come to love you and just forget about Yuno," he responded. _Maybe that's why he was being so forward in his advances towards me_ , he thought.

"Yes and no," Aru replied. "That idea didn't occur to me until after I fell in love with you. When I first met you, I honestly did want to get to know better. I thought that if I spent more time with you, then that would trigger more memories of the other world, and I would eventually discover the identity of the person I was forgetting." He smiled. "To my surprise, that person happened to be you."

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Well, regardless of your reasons, you still lied to me about not keeping any secrets from me, and you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Yuno. How can you expect someone to love you if you can't be upfront with them about these things?"

Aru gave a small smile. "I suppose it's because I never really believed you would choose me in the end," he stated. "I only wanted to prolong the time I had with you."

Yuki frowned. "Look, if you're trying to guilt trip me into being with you, then it's not going to work, sorry," he said. "I'm not in love with you, Aru."

Aru fought hard to keep the smile on his lips, knowing that Yuki had every right to make his own decision about who he was in love with.

Still . . . .

Even though he had already mentally prepared himself for this rejection, he never anticipated that it would hurt so much. The pain now present in his heart felt like it was breaking, and admittedly, it was harder to pretend that Yuki's words hadn't bothered him. He lowered his head slightly to make sure that Yuki couldn't see his eyes. His smile grew.

"I understand, Yukiteru-kun. I was about to go make some tea. Would you care for some?" he asked.

Yuki shook his head. "No thank you."

Aru nodded before walking towards the kitchen.

"Wait."

Aru stopped, his back still turned to Yuki.

Yuki kept his gazed fixed on the ground. "Earlier, I- . . . I wasn't done speaking. I just," he said. "I wanted to see if you meant what you said about being in love with me." He swallowed thickly. "It's true. I'm not in love with you, Aru. But . . . ." He paused, raising his eyes to meet Aru's back. He smiled gently. "I _want_ to be."

Yuki waited anxiously for the next words that would come from Aru. However, Aru said nothing, proceeding to walk to the kitchen.

Yuki lowered his head. Maybe . . . _maybe_ testing Aru wasn't the best idea, after all. He sighed, his head reeling about what Aru could've been thinking then.

He had been standing in the living room for about five minutes when he saw a silver-haired boy approaching him, his bangs obscuring his eyes.

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, what happened to the te-"

Yuki's eyes grew wide as Aru's lips suddenly met his. He didn't even have time to think before Aru had pulled away, a content smile on his lips.

"I meant it."

Yuki blinked. "Huh? Meant what?"

"I'm in love with you, Yukiteru-kun. Don't ever doubt it."

Yuki's eyebrows rose. Then, he frowned slightly.

 _I wish I could say it back, but . . . ._

"I want you to know why I chose you," Yuki said suddenly. "I- . . . I think you need to hear it. No. I _want_ you to hear it." Then, he added. "Right now, I need you to just listen to me. Don't interrupt until I'm done, okay?"

Aru kept his crimson gaze on Yuki as he nodded.

Yuki paused. "Hey, can we sit down while I tell you? My legs are killing me."

Aru's smile grew. "Of course, Yukiteru-kun."

Once the two were seated beside each other on the couch, Yuki took a deep breath, trying to decide on a good starting place.

Then, he spoke.

"Two weeks ago, I finally regained my memories, but it happened very gradually. I had to endure night after night of seeing people I knew die right before my eyes. It was torturous, confusing, and they only got worse every night," he explained. "It got to the point where I started to associate my house with the memories of the other world, and so I decided to stay over at my mom's job during the nights just to get away from it all, but it only really helped a little."

Aru raised his eyebrows at the information. _No wonder I could never reach him at his house_ , he thought.

Yuki continued, a faraway look in his eyes. "It was then that I started to see Yuno more in flashbacks and in my dreams. She was always there for me, watching my every movement to ensure that I was safe. She seemed to really like me too, the way she risked her own life to save mine on multiple occasions, and I could really feel the other me gradually starting to fall for her the more time he spent around her. Yuno was very beautiful, but she was frightening too. Oftentimes, I didn't know whether she could be trusted."

Yuki's eyes met his. "And then . . . I saw you in my dreams. You were always trying to look out for the other me too, and you also tried to warn me about how dangerous Yuno was." His eyebrows furrowed. "You know, it's weird. Even though you were trying so hard to protect me, I don't think the other me really noticed, or even appreciated what you, Mao, Kousaka, and Hinata had done for him. Between risking your lives to save the other me from being held captive by Yuno, you distracting the dogs with Kousaka, all of you trying to help me against the other diary users even when you guys weren't diary users, you were all really great friends to me, and I was sad when the other versions of you guys died." He sighed. "It's different when you're an outside person looking in."

"I could tell that you really cared for me, Aru. And when you kissed me in my dreams, all I could feel was comfort and warmth. It made me think of all the time I spent with you in this world, and how much fun we had at times. The thought of you helped me get through any bad memories I had thereafter." Yuki blushed. "I guess that's when I knew that you were the one I'd choose and not a Yuno from another world. Although the other me had strong feelings for Yuno, that Yuki is not me. I have different memories and different feelings than him. You were the one I thought of whenever I was down, or when I was happy. In fact, I barely know anything about Yuno."

"I remember what you said earlier, about love. About how it's an incredible feeling, but one filled with heartbreak too. How you don't know whether to feel happy or sad because of it. But . . ." His eyebrows furrowed. "I know love well enough to know that it shouldn't make you feel sad. It should make you happy, and I want to be the one that does just that." Yuki smiled. "From now on, let's not talk about the other world. Let's only talk about this one. You . . . you made me happy when you called me your boyfriend. That's why I didn't correct you in front of the others. Because, I want to create a future with you as my boyfriend." He paused. "I- . . . I'm not ready to say that I love you yet, but I believe it's worth finding out for myself."

When he finished speaking, Aru wore the happiest expression he had ever seen on him.

Yuki smiled in return, leaning in to brush his lips against Aru's. He felt the other boy return the kiss, his lips moving softly against his.

Yuki pulled back, giving him a wry smile. "Hey, remember how months back I said that I should've listened to my instincts and stayed the hell away from you when I first met you?" he asked. He averted his eyes, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Well . . . I wasn't being totally honest then. I didn't exactly want to stay the hell away from you. I actually thought you were . . . well, kind of hot."

"I noticed."

Yuki blinked. "Huh?"

Aru gave a half-smile. "When I felt up your thigh the first time I came over your house, I noticed a prominent bulge rising up in your shorts," he explained. His smile grew. "It seems you were very interested in my hands that day. It was a pleasant surprise."

Yuki's face flushed bright red. "W-what a thing to say," he muttered.

Aru laughed, leaning in to meet his lips. He lingered for a moment before moving away. His eyelids lowered slightly, his eyes darkening. "I'll help you out next time," he whispered.

"Only if I do you first."

Aru gaped at him, a dark blush spreading over his cheeks.

Yuki's eyes widened, immediately covering his mouth.

"I . . . I was just joking!" Yuki exclaimed when it looked like Aru was seriously considering it.

A slow smile creeped onto Aru's face. "That's too bad. I liked where this was going," he said, placing a hand over the zipper of Yuki's shorts. His eyelids lowered. "Are you sure you were joking? No one else is home."

"D-don't," Yuki stammered, grabbing Aru's hand and pulling it away from _that_ area. His face was so red that he thought it must've resembled a tomato.

"I'll do anything you wish, Yuki. Just tell me what you want. No one will know but us."

Yuki blushed harder. "Can we change the subject?"

"Am I turning you on, Yukiteru-kun?" Aru asked, clear amusement in his tone.

Yuki stood up suddenly. "You know, I suddenly feel for some ice cream. Do you want ice cream? Let's go get some ice cream. The store is probably still open," he replied quickly, not waiting for an answer. He walked over to the door.

Aru smiled, getting up as well. "I'm right behind you, Yukiteru-kun," he said, following him to the door.

…

* * *

…

By the time Yuki and Aru were heading back from the store, the rain had let up considerably with only the occasional drizzle.

Yuki turned his head towards Aru, his eyebrows furrowed. "So . . . there's something still on my mind. About the power outage three weeks ago-"

"I caused it."

Yuki's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Aru gave a wistful smile. "While you were snooping around my room a few weeks ago, after I told you I was going to the bathroom, I actually went over to the circuit breaker and shut down the power. I wanted to see how you'd manage to find my sketchbook without much light to guide you. However, I gave you a flashlight to help you out a little," he explained. "I also cleaned up my room, so that you wouldn't trip over anything as you were searching. After all, you've never been up in my room before, so it might've taken you longer otherwise."

"But . . . why?" Yuki asked.

"For fun, Yukiteru-kun."

Yuki frowned. "Fun?!" he exclaimed. "For who?! Not me! I was freaked out! I had to keep looking around to make sure that no one was going to knife me or something."

Aru laughed.

"I'm glad _one_ of us found it _so_ hilarious," Yuki muttered. "And anyways, how did you know I would continue snooping through your room once you were gone? What if I hadn't looked for your treasured item and tried to find you instead?"

"That wouldn't have happened."

Yuki's eyebrows knitted together. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know how you think," Aru answered. "When I looked through your phone diary a month ago, the point wasn't just to find information about you. It was also to keep tabs on the way you think and how you behave in different scenarios. That's why even the smallest amount of information can reveal intimate details about oneself." His smile grew, his crimson eyes set on his. "Yukiteru-kun, I know everything about you. So much so that if I wanted to kill you, it wouldn't have even been a challenge for me."

Yuki turned pale. ". . . . _What_?"

Aru seemed to pay no mind. "No one ever suspects the detective because people tend to assume that a detective's only goal is to save lives and solve mysteries. But with a person so good at solving mysteries, isn't it possible that they would be able to gain enough experience from them to perfect their own crimes?" he asked.

Aru's smile broadened. "Yuki, wouldn't it be interesting if Sherlock Holmes turned out to be a mass murderer in the past who covered up the deaths under the guise of a detective identity? I have been reading some Sherlock Holmes novels lately. Perhaps all this time I was luring you into some false sense of security, so that when you finally let your guard down, I would sneak into your room at night and murder you in your sleep. I've already been in your house before and know your behaviors, and I also have several strategies for pursuing that objective. What would be stopping me from acting on those strategies? After all, you never really know who you can trust until it's too late."

Yuki stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide.

Aru blinked, looking back at him. Then, he smiled. "It was a joke."

Yuki made a face, walking beside Aru again. "Your jokes need work."

Aru's eyelids lowered. "Perhaps I need a teacher."

Yuki rolled his eyes. "I knew it was a mistake to get ice cream with you."

Aru laughed lightly, leaning in and meeting Yuki's lips.

Yuki's eyes widened, before closing them, his lips moving gently against Aru's.

As Yuki kissed Aru, a single thought entered his mind.

He was going to be sleeping with a baseball bat from now on.

…

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Aaaannnndddd . . . that's a wrap, folks! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and this story! It's been quite a journey with Yuki and Aru, and it's a little bittersweet that this is the end. Maybe I'll write another story with this pairing sometime in the future! We'll see!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

Until next time . . . .

Cheers!


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